


Don't Let Me Down

by RoseIsRelatable



Series: Tour Diaries [1]
Category: ONEUS (Band), ONEWE (Band)
Genre: CyA and Dongmyeong are established already, Drinking, Fluff, Groping, Humor, Multi, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Recreational Drug Use, Rose's WeUs universe, Sex, Tour life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:08:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 41,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseIsRelatable/pseuds/RoseIsRelatable
Summary: Watch out, USA! ONEWE have landed for the first leg of their world tour!Follow hyung line (Yonghoon, Harin, and Hyungu) at the beginning of the ride of their lives.(This is the indirect sequel to The Key To Everything, but you don't necessarily have to read that to understand this.)
Relationships: Jin Yonghoon/Kang Hyungu | Kanghyun, Ju Harin/OC, Lee Giwook | Cya/Son Dongmyeong
Series: Tour Diaries [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755520
Comments: 224
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

_- Harin -_

After the longest plane ride of my life, we finally wobbled onto solid ground again. I slung my carry-on onto my back and yawned. No way was my body ever getting used to the new time zone. Yonghoon trudged along beside me, nose pointed to the ground. Hyungu’s hand found my shoulder and he used me as a guide through the crowds of the airport. Back home, I was easily a head taller than many other people, and hard to lose track of. In California, I found myself feeling kind of short. That was probably the reason for the physical contact. He was just making sure I didn’t leave him anywhere.

The maknae line fared considerably better. The couple was sleepy, yet perky, hand-in-hand as they looked around in awe of their surroundings. I did the same, my eyes darting between brightly lit tourist kiosks and little restaurants tucked in along the airport’s walls. The signage was all in English. I could read most of it and I understood some. For example, to my right, I found a burger place. My stomach rumbled furiously. “Hyung,” I said, reaching over to tap Yonghoon on the shoulder. He glanced at me. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too!” Dongmyeong yelped as he and Giwook half-jogged to catch up to the rest of us. “Let’s get American food!”

“Let’s wait until you meet your interpreter,” Manager Hansoo said. He and Seungjin, the security guard, led the way. They were charged with keeping us out of trouble during our North American leg. We were touring “western-style,” which was the company’s way of saying they wanted to cut costs and we’d have to do our own makeup and wardrobe styling. Not a problem for a bunch of guys who trained for as long as we did. A little insulting, but not difficult to handle.

My stomach growled again. It was so loud, I was convinced everyone in the airport could hear it. “Manager-nim!” I whined. I am  _ not  _ a whiner, so he knew I meant business. “Please? I’m so hungry!”

“Where is our interpreter?” Yonghoon asked.

“She’s waiting in the van outside,” Manager Hansoo replied. “Some kind of linguistic genius or something. She speaks five other languages.”

“Whoa,” I said.

“Can she meet us inside for lunch?” Dongmyeong begged. “Please, Manager-nim?”

“Be patient or I’ll have Seungjin-ssi carry you out to the van,” Manager Hansoo threatened. We fell silent. Well, all except for my stomach.

We stepped out into the bright sunlight of Los Angeles and I instinctively shielded my eyes, wishing I had my sunglasses in a more accessible place than the pocket of my carry-on. We walked a short distance to a huge silver van. A young woman stepped out. She was petite, dressed in grey board shorts and a bright yellow tank top. Her bleach blonde hair was bobbed off at her chin and bore streaks of purple and red. She smiled at us and tipped her sunglasses, showing off hazel eyes that were almost gold in the sunlight. “Hey! Hansoo, right?” she asked in English. Her voice had an almost laughter-like quality to its tone. She thrust her hand forward. Her nails were painted black with holographic glitter. I was entirely transfixed. “I’m Lydia,” she said. Manager Hansoo stared at her. “Uh, so, we don’t do the handshake thing? Got it.” She pulled her hand back and bowed. Switching to Korean she said, “It’s nice to meet all of you. My name is Lydia Holloway, and I’ll be your interpreter. I am twenty-four years old. I speak six languages, most of them European. This is my first time in California.”

Dongmyeong was the first of us to speak. Plastering a dimply grin across his face, he waved excitedly and said, “Hello, noona! I’m Son Dongmyeong!” He began to enthusiastically introduce the rest of us. “This is my fiance, Lee Giwook. His stage name is CyA.”

“Fiance?” Lydia repeated with a bright smile. Dongmyeong nodded. “Wow! Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Dongmyeong said. He moved on down the line, throwing his arm over Hyungu’s shoulders. “He’s Kang Hyungu, but his stage name is KangHyun.” I felt Dongmyeong ruffle my hair. “This is Ju Harin.” He poked Yonghoon’s cheek. “This is Jin Yonghoon. He is our leader and our eldest member but he’s still very cute.”

Lydia laughed. With her mouth wide open, I noticed a hot pink ball glittering on her tongue. “It’s a pleasure and an honor,” she said. 

“You’re so polite!” Dongmyeong remarked. “This is Manager Kim Hansoo.” Manager Hansoo gently removed Dongmyeong’s hand from around his bicep. “He seems like kind of a jerk but he’s not. And this,” he launched himself onto Seungjin’s back, “is Kim Seungjin, our security guard. No relation,” he added, pointing between Manager Hansoo and Seungjin. Seungjin wrapped his arms around Dongmyeong’s thighs and held him like a backpack.

“Can you stop goofing off and get in the van, please?” Manager Hansoo asked. 

“I like his enthusiasm,” Lydia commented. She opened the door to the van’s back seat. “Come on, guys, pile in. I’ll ride with you. Your gear and your old men will ride in a different van.”

“Oh,” I said. “Yonghoon, you have to go in a different van.” 

Yonghoon playfully slapped the back of my head, muttering, “Pabo,” as he walked around me and climbed into the vehicle. 

“A-yah!” I hissed, playing like the hit was far more painful than it really was. 

“Looks like you guys have a lot of fun,” Lydia observed, tailing me into the van and shutting the door behind her. “Everybody has everything they need?” My stomach growled again. “Let’s feed you boys as soon as possible.”

“How did you get this job?” Giwook asked, settling into his seat with Dongmyeong curled up against him. Maybe those two were more tired than I originally thought.

“I applied for it,” Lydia said with a shrug. She reached into a bin that was situated between our two seats and started pulling out snacks. “Actually, I applied to be a social media translator, but they decided I would be more useful on your world tour. Snack time!” Lydia started passing pouches of gummy fruit snacks to the maknae line in the back row, and then to Yonghoon and Hyungu in the middle row. She set one in my palm and I dug in. “This might help tide you over until we get lunch. Any other questions for me?” I raised my hand. Lydia giggled, tearing open her own pouch of fruit snacks. “Go ahead, Harin-ssi.”

“What are the other languages you speak?” I asked, chewing on a sticky orange-flavored piece. It stuck to my teeth, but I wasn’t mad at it.

“English, obviously,” she began. “I also speak Spanish, French, Italian, and Greek. And, of course, I’m fluent in Korean.”

“Why did you pick Korean?” Hyungu asked.

“Honestly?” Lydia laughed. “You guys have some incredible television in Korea and I got addicted to dramas, but I found myself growing tired of subtitles.”

“Wait!” Yonghoon blurted. “You became  _ fluent  _ in Korean so you could watch TV without subtitles?” Lydia nodded. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. So welcome to the ONEWE family. You will fit in just fine here.”

“We’re all a little nuts,” I agreed.

“Will you help us with English?” Hyungu asked. He was making puppy eyes at her, whether he realized it or not.

“If you want me to, absolutely,” Lydia said. She switched to English. “What do you guys want for lunch today?”

“American food!” Dongmyeong shouted in English, his head popping up off Giwook’s shoulder. “Burgers and hot dogs!”

“Adorable,” Lydia laughed. “We have to check you in at your hotel first, and then we can go out for American food,” she said. “Does anybody need that in Korean?” Yonghoon sheepishly raised his hand, and Lydia repeated herself in Korean.

“Now in Greek,” Hyungu said. Lydia laughed. She said what I assumed was the same thing in a language I assumed was Greek and Hyungu’s jaw dropped. “Oh, you’re amazing.”

“You’re sweet,” Lydia said.

The jade pendant around her neck caught my eye. “You’re a pig?” I asked, gesturing to it. Lydia picked the jade pig up off her chest and held it, nodding. “I’m a tiger,” I said. “So is Hyungu. Yonghoon-hyung is a dog. It’s pretty obvious when you get to know him. Giwook-ah and Dongmyeong-ah are rabbits because they were born before Seollal, so they have the 1999 animal even though they were born in 2000.”

“2000?” Lydia breathed. “Oh my God, they’re babies! How are they already engaged?”

“They’re made for each other,” Yonghoon said with a shrug. 

“What about the rest of you?” she asked. “Anybody else on their way down the aisle?”

“I have a girlfriend,” Hyungu said. 

“I’m  _ really _ single,” I grumbled.

“No comment,” Yonghoon said.

“Okay then,” Lydia laughed. “I’ve been doing me for the past couple of years. It’s actually awesome. I kind of love being single.”

The hotel wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t cheap either. Lydia got her own room because we couldn’t have co-ed sleeping arrangements. Manager Hansoo and Seungjin were sharing a room with two beds, as were Hyungu, Yonghoon, and I. Dongmyeong and Giwook got a room together, of course. I made a plan to try to get Hyungu to share a bed with me because sleeping with Yonghoon is like sleeping with an octopus. 

As much as my body cried for the soft beds we found in our room, my stomach was still louder, and I headed down to the lobby ready to go out for lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

@_KangHyun

The hotel room in Los Angeles would be a tight squeeze, for sure. I laid claim to the bed nearer to the window by tossing my things down on the mattress. I like my personal space, so while I knew one of my taller hyungs would want to come take up two-thirds of my bed, I really hoped they would just suck it up and sleep in the other one together.

Harin left the room almost as soon as he set his luggage down. I think he was beyond hungry by that point and  _ very  _ ready to grab a burger. Yonghoon had ditched his hoodie and set to freshening himself up in the bathroom mirror. He’s not a fan of wearing makeup if he doesn’t have to, but he’s still picky. I watched him dab his neck with cologne. “Hyung, what are you doing?” I asked, chuckling softly at him. “We’re just going out for lunch. It’ll probably be fast food.”

“We’re going out for lunch with our interpreter,” he corrected. “Our very attractive interpreter. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

“Yeah, well,” I muttered. “You just reminded me I have to text Amanda. She wanted to hear from me as soon as we made it to our hotel.”

“Oh, that girlfriend of yours,” Yonghoon said as he grabbed a pair of sunglasses out of his carry-on. “Why didn’t she come along? She would have been useful. Maybe the company wouldn’t have had to hire Lydia. You could have saved them some money and got yourself laid at the same time.”

“She’s a student,” I mumbled, opening KakaoTalk. I shot off a quick text to Amanda, basically just informing her that I was safe, and slipped my phone back into my pocket. She probably wouldn’t see it for a few more hours, considering the time difference.

“Yeah? You’re a student,” Yonghoon pointed out. “Why are you here?”

“It’s different for me, hyung. You know that.” I retrieved my own pair of sunglasses and set them atop my head. “Do I smell like a long plane ride?”

Yonghoon stepped forward and smelled me, stuffing his nose into my neck and making me squirm. “Nah, you smell like a guy. You’re fine.”

“Can you smell  _ anything  _ over your own cologne?”

“Yeah! Sort of…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, I bet we’ll be the last ones to the lobby. Everyone else must already be waiting to go out to lunch.”

I couldn’t have cared less about eating. I wanted a nap.

We made our way downstairs to find Harin sitting in a chair in the lobby. Giwook was in the adjacent chair with Dongmyeong in his lap. They were a sickeningly cute couple. Maybe they deserved to act cutesy together after all they’d been through, but that doesn’t mean I could look at them for more than a few minutes without gagging. “We’ve been sitting like this for like, ten minutes, and nobody has looked twice!” Dongmyeong blurted as we joined the rest of our members in the sitting area. “Americans don’t even care!”

“Cute,” I commented with a smile. Dongmyeong grinned back and turned to plant a kiss on his fiance. “And disgusting. You guys have a room. Use it.”

The only response I got came in the form of Giwook’s middle finger springing up as he continued to focus all his attention on Dongmyeong. 

“Aww!” a voice cooed behind me. I turned around. It was our remarkably colorful interpreter, Lydia. “You guys are adorable. Couple goals! Hell yeah!” She quickly swiped an SPF-protective lip balm on her lips and pocketed it again. “Are we ready to go out for lunch?” Her eyes scanned the rest of the lobby. “Where are Ass Hat and Big Man?”

“Manager Hansoo and Seungjin-hyung?” Harin guessed. “I haven’t seen them since we checked in.”

“Hansoo-ssi is not really that bad,” I said. “He’s just tense.”

“Does he have a reason to be tense?” Lydia asked, folding her arms over her chest. “Are you all a bunch of troublemakers?”

“Well, MyeongWook fucked in a recording studio once,” Harin piped in. Dongmyeong reached over and slapped Harin’s knee pretty hard.

“Are you serious?!” Lydia blurted.

“We wouldn’t have been caught if not for the security camera,” Giwook grumbled.

“What a couple of exhibitionists!” Lydia giggled. “So, you want me to go knock and see if I can’t hurry those old men up for us?”

“That may not be the best idea,” I said. I flopped down on a sofa and yawned. Yonghoon sat beside me and patted the seat next to himself. Lydia remained standing in front of us. “I like Manager Hansoo a lot more when he’s not angry.”

“Yeah? Well, I like people getting what they need when they need it,” Lydia said. She spun around and made for the staircase again. “I’ll be back. If they don’t come back with me, we can walk to the McDonald’s down the block.”

Oh boy. Somebody was about to experience culture shock. I wasn’t sure if it would be Lydia or Manager Hansoo. Maybe both. 

Lydia returned a few minutes later with both of our handlers. Seungjin smiled, Hansoo scowled, and Lydia walked like she owned the world. “You said American food, right, guys?” she asked, leading the manager and bodyguard to our location. “We could grab fast food. Or I’m sure there’s a proper restaurant around here somewhere.”

“Fast food is good!” Harin said. “The faster, the better. You said we could walk to McDonald’s.”

“We have McDonald’s in Korea, hyung!” Dongmyeong complained. “I want to try  _ real  _ American food.”

“Trust me, pumpkin,” Lydia began, “it doesn’t get more American than that shit. I don’t know what you heard, but not even our billionaires are classy.”

“We’re in the country for a month,” Manager Hansoo said. “That’s more than enough time for you to try all the food you want. Besides, this isn’t a vacation. We’re here to work. Take what you can get.” Lydia stood slightly behind him, flapping her hand like a puppet and making faces while he spoke. She stopped when he turned to face her. “Where’s the closest fast food?”

“I saw a McDonald’s down the block when we got here,” she said. “Other than that, I don’t know. Like I said before, this is my first time in California too. I may be American, but I’m not a fucking GPS.”  _ Wow, how tactful.  _ I could tell already that this tour was going to be… tumultuous at best. 

“Is everyone okay with McDonald’s then?” Manager Hansoo asked. We agreed, though Dongmyeong was less than enthusiastic about it. “Great. This is a fantastic reason for me not to take a nap right now.”

“This  _ is  _ a fantastic reason for you not to take a nap,” Lydia said. “Keeping an eye on the people you’re supposed to be taking care of on this tour is the best reason to be awake.”

We stepped onto the sidewalk outside the hotel and I flipped my sunglasses down over my eyes. It really did make a world of difference compared to squinting the way I did when we left the airport. The weather was hot with only a few puffy clouds in an almost electric blue sky. And have I mentioned yet how much I loved the palm trees that lined the street? They were adorable.

Manager Hansoo led the way. Giwook and Dongmyeong held hands behind him. Next came Yonghoon and Harin, with Lydia occasionally poking her head in between them to chat. She mostly walked beside me, right behind them. Seungjin brought up the rear. “Your bodyguard is huge,” Lydia whispered to me, glancing back at him.

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “He only  _ looks _ mean. In real life, Seungjin-hyung is like a giant fluffy kitten. And he’s got the two cutest kids I’ve ever seen. Mina, his daughter, likes to pluck my guitar strings.” I chuckled. “You should see it. It’s adorable. Maybe I’ll get to teach her how to play someday.”

“That’s sweet, Hyungu-ssi.” Lydia smiled up at me. She was just a little shorter than Dongmyeong.

“You don’t have to be so polite with me, noona. I don’t need a suffix.”

“Hyungu-yah,” she amended. I laughed.

Lydia picked up her pace, bouncing into the space between the taller men in front of us. They both tilted their heads in her direction to hear her when she spoke. They laughed hard and Yonghoon held his palm above her head. She strained onto her tiptoes, trying to touch his hand with the top of her head. She gave up and dropped back down flat on her soles. Yonghoon laughed again and ruffled her hair. Lydia fell back next to me again.

“I can’t even deal with how short I feel today,” she said in English.

“Sorry,” I said in the same language. “Why do you say that?”

“They’re teasing me!” she whined, pointing at my hyungs.

“If they’re teasing you, that means you already made friends, noona.”

“Do you know the worst part of being multilingual?” she asked, switching back to Korean for me. I shook my head and waited for her answer. “Sometimes I forget English. Like, entire words and phrases in my native language just disappear and I replace them with something ridiculous. Like when I asked my best friend to turn off the window.”

“That’s cute though,” I said.

We took up two tables at McDonald’s. We found out that they have some different menu items than the ones in Korea. It also didn’t seem like the quality was as good. Still, it was food. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I raised the first chicken nugget to my mouth. 

Once I was full, I felt a little more energized. I no longer felt like I desperately needed ibuprofen and a nap. Jetlag stopped kicking my ass and started gently patting it instead. Lydia asked if anyone wanted to hit the hotel pool with her when we got back. Dongmyeong and Giwook planned on checking out the fitness center instead. Yonghoon said he was ready to pass out, but he’d think about it. Harin excitedly said he’d grab his swim shorts. And me? I decided I should at least try to watch my professor’s lecture online and get a little homework done.

“Oh, you big party poopers,” Lydia said, sticking her tongue out at the rest of us. “Harin-ssi and I will go have fun in the pool. Who needs homework anyway?” She paused. “Maybe that mindset is the reason I almost flunked out of college.”

I settled back against my pillow with my computer in my lap and logged into my account for school. Yonghoon and Harin both dug through their luggage for swim shorts. “Hyung, I thought you were taking a nap,” Harin said.

“Well, maybe I want to go swimming too,” Yonghoon replied. I popped my earbuds in to listen to my lecture and ignore them.

My phone buzzed beside me. I recognized the long vibration that was characteristic of a KakaoTalk message. It was Amanda.

_ Okay, good. Glad you made it there safely. Love you. _

I closed the app and set my phone down. For some reason, I didn’t really feel like saying it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may not be a chapter tomorrow just because I'll be busy. I have a graphic design project to finish and a livestreamed ukulele lesson to perform, but I'll do my best!


	3. Chapter 3

*용훈*

“You’ll be okay here alone?” I asked Hyungu. He pulled out one earbud and looked at me quizzically. “If you need a break from school, you know where to find us.” He nodded and resumed staring at his computer screen. How he was keeping track of college and idol life at the same time, I had no idea.

Harin and I navigated to the pool outside behind the hotel. Lydia was already there, sitting poolside on a lounger, casually chatting with another girl. Lydia wore an olive green bikini, and my first instinct was to look away. She was showing more skin than I was used to from women on the beaches back home. Harin, on the other hand, stared openly as his face slowly adopted a peachy blush. “Guys!” she called out when she noticed us, waving her hand in a big arc over her head. “I thought it was just going to be Harin-ssi and me. Glad you could make it too, Yonghoon-ssi.”

“Oppa,” I corrected. “You can call me oppa. You really don’t have to use polite speech with any of us except Manager Hansoo. And maybe keep it up with Seungjin-hyung until he tells you otherwise. But really, Lydia, we are all friends.”

“Then you can call me Leelee,” she said with a grin. “And this is… I’m so sorry,” she said, turning to the curvy, dark-skinned girl beside her. “I didn’t even ask your name!”

“It’s Taliyah,” the girl said, flashing a pearly smile. “What language are you speaking with these guys?”

“Korean,” ~~Lydia~~ Leelee explained. “Their English isn’t exactly top-notch, but they’re learning. They ordered for themselves at McDonald’s. It was  _ very  _ impressive.” She winked at us. 

Leelee stood up and stretched her arms over her head, then sat on the edge of the pool, letting her legs dangle into the water. Harin peeled his shirt off and left it on the lounger she’d been sitting on, making me feel self-conscious. I was lean too, but he had more muscle definition, bigger biceps, and a trail of jet black hair below his belly button that a lot of girls went crazy for. He howled as he reared back and launched himself into the pool in cannonball formation, making a huge splash only a meter away from Leelee. She shielded herself from the spray, laughing. He surfaced, wiped the water out of his eyes, and smiled at her. “Hyung!” Harin called to me. “It’s so nice!”

“I could use a tan,” Leelee said as she lowered herself into the pool near Harin. “My skin is so pale, I fucking glow in the dark. Look at this!” She held her arm up next to Harin’s and they both laughed at the difference between their complexions. 

I discarded my shirt on top of Harin’s, nodding to Taliyah. “Hi,” I said to her. “Sorry I can’t speak English.”

“That’s fine,” she said, grinning widely. Her brown eyes shined at me above naturally shimmering cheeks. “You’re cute.”

“Thank you,” I laughed. 

I sat down cross-legged at the edge of the pool and reached over to mess up Harin’s drenched hair. Leelee put her arm near my legs. “Look, I’m paler than you too!” she whined.

“I mean, you are white, aren’t you?” I deadpanned.

“So?” she retorted, sticking her tongue out at me. A neon pink tongue stud flashed at me in the sunlight. “Get in the water, oppa.” Leelee pushed off of the edge of the pool, letting herself float gently backwards, making space for me. “I’ll splash you if you don’t.”

“Why don’t you splash Taliyah?” I asked, gesturing behind me at the pretty girl on her lounger. “She’s not in the water.”

“I didn’t ask for Taliyah,” Leelee said. “I asked for you.”

“If you guys are talking about getting me in the pool, I’m afraid of water,” Taliyah informed us from her chair. “I’ll just relax out here. Might dip my toes later and have a heart attack.”

“Sorry,” I said, craning my neck to see her. She smiled and gave me a thumbs-up before relaxing back against the lounger.

I decided to show off my natural grace. I smoothly shifted onto my knees, raised my arms out in front, and pushed into the water, hands-first. I dipped below the surface and came back up. My hair stuck to my face so I couldn’t open my eyes. I could hear Leelee laughing somewhere in front of me, and then her hands were on my face, parting my hair and pushing it back. I opened my eyes and smiled at her. “That was adorable,” she giggled.

Harin used one of his massive, strong hands to splash her and she squealed, her attention stolen away by my drummer again. I sighed. It was nice while it lasted. I watched her chase him around the pool, always falling just short of splashing him back. “You’re younger than me, right?” she asked. “Because you’re a tiger?”

“Yes, piggy,” he confirmed.

“Then I should call you Harin-ah!” she said, pushing a wave of water in his direction. He moved just in time to dodge it.

“Or you can call me Rinnie,” he flirted. “I only like it when girls say it.” She giggled and squealed when he splashed at her again. _ I should have stayed in the hotel room and slept through the afternoon.  _

“Oppa!” Leelee called, bouncing towards me. “Save me!” She latched onto my shoulders and positioned herself behind me. “He splashes!” She put her arm on my shoulder and pointed her finger at Harin. “You’re his hyung. Tell him it’s rude.”

“He’s teasing you because he likes you,” I said, knowing I was right. Leelee’s arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind and she clung to me like a leech. “You don’t want to let go?”

“You’re warm!” she exclaimed. “Like, holy hell, you’re really warm! It feels kind of nice.”

I swallowed and made eye contact with Harin. “She’s got a weapon now, Harin-ah,” I warned, moving forward, dragging the tiny girl along behind me. Harin grinned, retreating slowly. I splashed hard, hitting him square in the face. He yelped and wiped at his face, backing up farther before retaliating. I did my job as Leelee’s shield. Soon, we were in a full-blown splash fight and I wasn’t half as miserable as I was when it was just the two of them orbiting each other and flirting.

We spent another hour in the water, just swimming around and goofing off like a trio of kids. When I was too tired to keep playing, I pulled myself out of the pool and grabbed my shirt from the lounger. I pulled it on and it stuck to my wet skin. In the hot sunlight and gentle breeze, I was fairly dry in moments. “I’m going back to the room,” I said, waving at my friends. “Are you coming along, Harin-ah?”

“I’ll be up in a little bit,” he replied. “Save me some hot water! I don’t want a cold shower.” He refocused all his attention on Leelee.  _ Yeah, but maybe you’ll  _ need  _ a cold shower,  _ I thought as I left the courtyard the pool was in, stepping back into the air-conditioned hotel.

Hyungu was still doing homework when I got back, but his earbuds were discarded beside him on the bed. He was scratching something down into a notebook, glancing back up at his computer, and scribbling more. “Did you have fun?” he asked, not looking up from his work.

“Mostly,” I said. 

“Why? She likes Harin-hyung better?” he guessed. “You’re the one who didn’t tell her if you were single or taken.”

“You have to play hard-to-get with American girls,” I said, stripping off my shirt for a second time.

“I didn’t.” Hyungu set his pencil down and pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, this assignment.” He finally looked over at me. “I appreciate what Professor Park is doing for me, recording her lectures so I can still get things done, but what the hell am I supposed to do with this? It’s like a puzzle!”

“Set it aside and rest,” I said as I turned on the light in the bathroom. “Maybe it’ll be easier after a break. Just let it sit for a while. When’s it due?”

“Next week,” Hyungu replied.

“There you go,” I said. “Read a book or something. Clear your mind. Take a nap. You’ve got plenty of time.”

I closed the bathroom door and started the shower, making sure it was the perfect temperature before dropping my shorts and stepping in. I pulled the heavy curtain shut and washed the salty pool water off of myself. I had to admit, it  _ was  _ pretty cool of them to have a gentle saltwater pool instead of a smelly chlorine one. It was a lot easier on my eyes every time I got splashed in the face.

I could hear Harin and Hyungu talking when I turned off the stream and stepped out of the shower. I wrapped up in a towel and ventured out of the bathroom. I caught the tail end of the conversation. “... and she says she’s never seen the ocean before! Can you believe it?” Harin was talking animatedly, seated on the edge of Hyungu’s bed. I assumed they were talking about Leelee. “My turn!” Harin said, springing up from the bed. “How’s the shower? Is the water pressure okay?”

“It’s good,” I said. “Not too strong, maybe a little weaker than I like, but you’ll find it agreeable.” I dug underwear, a slippery pair of basketball shorts, and a loose t-shirt out of my luggage and started to dress myself while Harin retreated to the bathroom. Once dressed, I flopped onto my back on my bed and sighed.

“I knew you didn’t have fun,” Hyungu said as soon as we heard the shower turn on. 

“She likes him better,” I grumbled. “It’s fine.”

Hyungu marked the page he was on in his book and closed it. “Hyung, cool it,” he said. “As the former leader of this band, I refuse to let the two of you have bad blood over a girl you shouldn’t even be considering as an option. She works for us. She’ll be with us for a couple of months while we’re here and in Europe, and then we go home and she goes home and you’re on opposite sides of the planet. We’ve been in California for a few hours and you’re already jealous over a girl. Just stop it.”

“How’s Amanda?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I haven’t texted her back yet,” he admitted. “I was doing homework and then I was reading. Then Harin came back and talked my ear off.” He grabbed his phone, presumably to talk to Amanda. “I’m sure she’s fine. She knows her way around by now. And she knows I’m coming home soon enough.” I curled up on my side and watched him. “She’s been on Instagram,” he said, smiling at his phone. “Look, she’s so cute.” Hyungu turned the phone to face me and I saw a recent selca from Amanda. She had gone out for ice cream with her best friend and they were both in the frame, smiling and holding ice cream cones.

“Ice cream sounds good right now,” I said. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, scrolling through his feed. “Maybe after dinner tonight.”

“Hyungu-yah?” I called out softly. He hummed in response. “Wake me in time for dinner. I’m napping.”

“Sounds good, hyung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided Yonghoon likes to label his chapters with his name in hangul. :)


	4. Chapter 4

_- Harin -_

After dinner, I changed into sleepwear. Yonghoon brushed his teeth and burrowed right back under the blankets of his bed. Hyungu and I shared the sink just outside the bathroom door, scrubbing our teeth and washing our faces. I glared angrily at a pimple forming on my chin, as if by threatening it I could make it go away. Before we became idols, I wouldn’t have worried about it. I would have told myself that nobody pays attention to the drummer’s face, so it didn’t matter. Turns out some people pay a whole lot of attention to me. Hyungu patted his face dry and retreated to the bed at the far end of the room while I slapped a hydrocolloid patch on my face. They’re not always the best, but they’re better than nothing.

I turned all the lights off, leaving the lamp next to Hyungu on at a dim level so he could keep reading, and climbed in next to him. “Uh,” he said, glancing at me. “Can I help you, hyung?”

“Yonghoon-hyung cuddles,” I explained. “You don’t. I’m sleeping with you.” Hyungu’s eyes narrowed. “Come on. We’re childhood best friends. You can’t make your best friend sleep with a clingy octopus.”

“Okay, fine,” he sighed, returning his gaze to the pages in front of him. “Don’t complain about the light though. I want to finish this chapter before I go to sleep.”

“Goodnight,” I whispered as I gave him a gentle pat on the belly. I rolled over so as not to face the lamp and found that I could see a sliver of the sky through the drawn curtains on the window. It was deep blue, just after the sun dipped fully below the horizon. Too early for most people to go to bed. I heard the fluttering noise of a page being turned behind me, followed by a deep yawn. I half expected Hyungu to fall asleep with his book open and lose his place by morning. Not long after I had that thought, I heard Hyungu close his book. He shut off the lamp and our room was bathed in darkness.

I must have been tired because I slept straight through to noon the next day. I barely had time to clean myself up a bit and get dressed before we were herded into the van and shuttled off to the venue we were playing that night. It wasn’t an arena like BTS always get booked for. It was a small, somewhat clean nightclub, much like the ones we were used to playing back home. The stage was about two meters off the ground, and there was a riser in the back for my drums. A drum riser is a luxury I rarely get. It’s nice being able to see over my bandmates and look out into the crowd, even if I can’t see anyone’s faces through the stage lights.

We set up our gear while Lydia, Seungjin, and Manager Hansoo watched from the floor. Lydia was planning on interpreting for us on-the-fly during the performance. She would come out onstage in between songs a few times and speak our words in English so the fans could understand us. While we were practicing, she stood between the barricade and the stage, watching us with a big grin on her face.

Lydia pointed at Dongmyeong after we finished playing through  _ Regulus. _ “He has a sexy switch,” she said. “He’s a cute little bubble bean until the music starts.”

I don’t know if I was laughing harder at “sexy switch” or “cute little bubble bean,” but she had all of us giggling. 

“I will accept Bubble Bean as a nickname,” Dongmyeong informed her. 

We ran through everything but our solo stages a few times, both for our own benefit and so the sound system could be carefully tweaked to help us fit the space we were in. We sat down along the edge of the stage while Manager Hansoo talked about how the concert would go.

“You guys take the stage in the relative darkness,” he said. “You should be able to see okay, but the audience will only see silhouettes. Play your first song, then introduce yourselves. You won’t need Lydia-ssi for that. Three more songs, then a little audience interaction. She’ll help. You'll do your solo stages. After that, we have a raffle. Lydia will interpret during that as well.” He went on through the entire timeline of the show, right down to the encore. He ended his spiel with a warning. “I don’t want you guys drinking before the performance. You hear me? No alcohol tonight. Especially the maknae line. It is illegal to serve them in this country anyway.”

Whenever Manager Hansoo spoke, it felt like we were already in trouble.

The fans started lining up around six that evening. The nightclub shared its building with a few other businesses, which is why our fans weren’t allowed to form a line outside the building until an hour before the doors opened. I was actually a little surprised to find out that we were doing a VIP hi-touch that night. Some people are willing to throw in a little extra money to high-five and shake hands after a show, even in the West, and that made me feel pretty good. It always feels like making even more of a connection with our fans that way.

The bartenders were starting to set up. It was an all-ages performance, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be serving people who could prove they were legal. I asked Manager Hansoo if he could pop outside and check out the line to see what our age range looked like. He left for a moment, came back, and told me there were a lot of teens and twenty-somethings. That was also just like home. And it meant at least a few people would be drinking. Yonghoon likes to joke that the drunker they are, the better we sound. I think we sound damn good when you’re sober too.

We hid backstage, warming up physically and mentally. I was doing speed rolls on a practice pad to keep my mind clear so I wouldn’t get nervous. Yonghoon was belting scales at the top of his lungs. Hyungu hopped up and down and shook his arms and legs to loosen his muscles and wiggle away the jitters. Giwook was doing the same thing he did before our redebut concert: praying to whoever was listening for it all to go well.

Dongmyeong sat on a chair with his elbows on his knees and his fists by his mouth. He never bit his nails like his brother, but he hides his face when he’s nervous. He straightened his arms out in front of himself and stretched his fingers, first pulling them straight down, then straight back. 

Lydia looked unfazed. After all, what did she have to be nervous about? All she had to do was speak for us. When we were down to a five-minute wait, she got up and made her rounds, grabbing attention for high-fives. When she reached me, she tapped gently on my shoulder. I stopped tapping on my practice pad and looked up at her. “You’re going to be amazing out there, Harin-ah!” she cheered, lifting her hand up in front of herself. I smiled, set my sticks down, and slapped her palm with my own. 

“I’m a little nervous,” I confessed. “We’ve never played here.”

Lydia moved to stand behind me, placed her hands on my shoulders, and… massaged them? My sticks slipped out of my hand and clattered to the floor. “This club is packed full of people who can’t wait to see you in person,” she said. “There’s literally no pressure. You’ve already proven yourselves to them.”

I picked my drumsticks up off the floor and followed my bandmates to the single door that led to the stage. From the doorway, we could hear Pentagon’s  _ Dr. Bebe  _ playing over the club’s P.A. system. Dongmyeong did a tiny dance, grooving to the music. There was silence after the song ended, and then a loud roar swelled up from the audience. 

We stepped out onto the stage in the relative darkness. It was a little disorienting. With my in-ear monitors plugging my ears, I could hear my own thudding heartbeat as I stepped carefully over taped-down cables. The drum riser was marked with glow-in-the-dark tape so that I wouldn’t trip on it. I hopped up onto the riser and adjusted my in-ears to cancel even more of the ambient noise until all I could hear was a faint murmur from the audience and the hiss of my own breath in my throat. I sat on my throne and adjusted the placement of a few pieces of my kit, making sure I could reach everything comfortably, then tapped my foot on my kick pedal a few times. It pounded against the bass drum in a staccato rhythm and the noise from the audience swelled again as the stage lights came up, washing us out in red and blue. Yonghoon stepped up to his mic and bellowed, “Los Angeles!” Chills ran through my body when I heard how hard the crowd cheered. I counted us in and we launched straight into  _ Ring On My Ears _ .

Halfway through the concert, it was time to give away three signed posters. Lydia gently lifted Yonghoon’s mic from his fingers and explained the simple raffle system to the crowd. One at a time, Giwook, Dongmyeong, and Yonghoon would draw a number out of a bucket Lydia was holding. They would read their numbers aloud, and whoever’s ticket numbers matched would get the posters. They had to shout, “bingo,” in order to claim their prize.

“This is just our way of thanking you all for being here,” Yonghoon said in dialect as he reclaimed his microphone from our interpreter. “Everyone has a shot at these posters.”

Lydia knew she was supposed to repeat what Yonghoon said in English, but she just stood there and stared at him. Her mouth hung slightly open and she raised one eyebrow, totally baffled. She took his mic again. “I am so sorry,” she said to the crowd. “I’m fluent in  _ standard _ Korean. He’s speaking a dialect local to Busan and the area around it. Oppa,” she flipped to Korean, “can you say that again in standard Korean, please?” He did as she asked, and a wave of relief washed over Lydia as she interpreted for the audience. “Don’t do that again,” she said, glaring at Yonghoon but smiling as she did so. He laughed and tucked his hands behind his back before nodding humbly. “Brat.”

Giwook went first, as the maknae of the band. He pulled a number out of Lydia’s bucket and read it into his mic. Someone called out, “bingo,” from the back of the crowd. Giwook grinned and bounced a little in excitement. Dongmyeong went next. He had to do it three times because the first and second numbers he drew simply didn’t exist as anyone’s ticket numbers that night, which means at least a couple of people bought tickets and didn’t show up for the concert.

Lydia held the bucket out for Yonghoon next. When he reached for it, she moved it to the right and he dipped his hand into nothing. She smirked up at him. The audience laughed. He tried again, aiming for the bucket’s new location. Lydia lifted it high above her head. “Ah, seriously!” Yonghoon growled into his mic. Lydia giggled and lowered the bucket, stretching it out towards him again. He eyed her suspiciously. She shook it invitingly. Yonghoon quickly plunged his hand in, fingers smacking against the bottom of the bucket loudly enough to be picked up by his mic. Hyungu tried to stifle a laugh. Yonghoon drew out a number, announced it, and was immediately met with a response from the ticket’s owner. Lydia informed the winners that they could pick up their posters at the merch table after the concert, and we continued with our show.

I always wear out one pair of drumsticks at every show, sometimes more if they break. I had one stick snap in half for me right before the raffle, so I had three worn-out sticks by the end of it all. I have a policy about my post-show sticks: first come, first serve. If someone asks me for a stick from the show, they get one if I have one to give them. It’s not a widely-known policy, so you really have to be bold to ask. The first fan at hi-touch fistbumped each of us, and when she reached me she said, “What do you do with your broken sticks at the end of the night?”

“Give them away,” I said as I passed one over to her. It wasn’t the one that snapped, but it was beaten to hell and back, chewed up by the metal rims on my drums. She received it with both hands and smiled.

“Kamsahamnida!” she said.

I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes. Drumsticks  _ are  _ an expensive thing to just give away. But when they’re worn out anyway, what do you want me to do? Throw them away? I’d rather see our fans smile and walk away with a piece of the experience.

By the end of hi-touch, I had given away all three of my used-up drumsticks. We tore down our instruments and loaded them back into their trailer behind the crew van that Manager Hansoo and Seungjin rode in. The adrenaline of the show drained out of me and I melted into a tired blob of mush as I buckled myself into my seat in our van. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a late-night taco truck for what Lydia called street tacos. They were small. They came four to a basket. The tacos were fresh, spicy, and flavorful, drenched in some tangy hot sauce with a pretty high vinegar content and drizzled with queso blanco. I ordered mine with steak and they came to me heavy with chunks of hot grilled beef. I had a frosty glass bottle of a Mexican soda called Jarritos to wash down my tacos. I chose the pineapple flavor. It was the perfect way to fill up after a performance. 

“This is what I was talking about when I said I wanted  _ real  _ American food,” Dongmyeong said as he bit into his third taco.

“This is Mexican food,” Lydia pointed out. 

“So?” Dongmyeong replied. “You guys adopt everything here. It’s American food.”

“You make an excellent point,” she laughed.

We slept that night in the hotel, then rode in the van to San Diego for our next show. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I'm not posting every day. That is because my fancy new online classes are kicking my ass so hard it's almost numb. The software engineering student struggle is real.  
> I hope you enjoyed Lydia teasing Yonghoon and Harin being the literal sweetest.  
> Have a beautiful day!


	5. Chapter 5

@_KangHyun

We played a grand total of three concerts in California before moving on. We were there for about a week. I had hoped we would get to visit one of the Disney parks or something, but Manager Hansoo was right. We weren’t there for a vacation. Still, we managed to spend a little of our free time introducing Lydia to the ocean. 

She said it didn’t look real, so I convinced her to slip her shoes off and feel it. I grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the water, making her stand on the wet sand at the edge of the shore. The water lapped up onto the sand and washed over our feet and she ripped her hand out of my grip and hopped onto the dry sand, squealing. “Oh, just be glad I didn’t pick you up and throw you in,” I laughed.

“You couldn’t pick me up if you wanted to, you scrawny nerd!” she shrieked.

Harin stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her off the ground while she flailed and whined. He carried her in until the water was as deep as his knees. She leveled her tone and calmly told him that if he dropped her or threw her in, she was going to kick him in the balls. “I’d still like you anyway,” he said, gently setting her down on her feet in the water. 

“Icky, icky, icky!” Lydia yelled, splashing her way back to the shore once Harin relinquished his grip. “I hate the ocean! It smells like salt and dead fish!”

“It likes you,” I said. “The waves licked your feet.”

“The ocean is a slut,” she spat. “It’ll lick anybody’s toes if they get close enough.”

Before I could follow her back to the boardwalk, I felt a splash hit my legs. I looked over to see Harin grinning at me, his hand dripping saltwater. “Oh, it’s a fight you want?” I laughed, wading in level with my drummer. “I’ll fight!” I splashed back. Harin came towards me and scooped me off my feet, dropping me in a slightly deeper area. When I surfaced, I reached my hand up to him. “Help me up?” I asked innocently. He took my hand and I yanked him down into the water with me. “Truce?” I asked when his head popped out of the water.

“Yeah,” he laughed.

We went back to the shore where Lydia was brushing sand off her feet before putting her pastel pink Converse All Star low-tops back on. “Congratulations!” she said. “You now have to shower and change your clothes!”

“Fucking worth it,” I said. “Noona, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

The day after our little trip to the beach, we hopped on a plane to Texas, a state that we know for being huge and nothing else. There was less demand for us there than in California, so we were scheduled for two concerts back-to-back in Dallas. We would be there for a total of four days before going on to Atlanta, Georgia.

Amanda’s home state was Ohio, and though we weren’t booked for anything there, I still wanted to know how close I was to where she came from. I texted her from the hotel room in Dallas.

_ ME: I am in Texas. How close it is to Ohio? _

_ A Panda: Not very close. Do you like the USA? _

_ ME: I like the food. We are trying many things. ^_^ _

_ A Panda: Good. I need to go back to sleep, babe. Love you. _

_ ME: Goodnight~! _

I always texted her in English because it was good practice, but it was mentally exhausting if our conversations went on for a while.

This time around, we had a two-bedroom suite. There was a main living area with a pull-out sofa and a couple of comfy chairs, and the two bedrooms branched off of it. In between them was a small shared bathroom. Each bedroom had a queen-size bed. I laid claim to the sofa’s pull-out mattress the moment we found out about it. Harin may complain about how Yonghoon always has to cuddle his bedmate, but he doesn’t realize he’s the same way. 

I sat on the sofa, flipping channels on the flatscreen TV in the common area of the suite. Giwook had his head on my lap, his body stretched out along the sofa. His feet were hanging off the armrest. Harin was occupying the chair to my left. He had his phone out, playing one of those bubble popping mobile games. Dongmyeong was in the shower. 

Yonghoon strode out of his bedroom smelling like fresh cologne. “I’ll see you guys later,” he said as he passed by. “I’m going to see if Leelee wants to go out and explore with me. Maybe we can find a spot for a coffee date or something.” Giwook waved at him. I glanced up from the TV screen and nodded. Harin… he scowled. His eyes narrowed as he set his jaw and pouted, dropping his phone into his lap. “Are you okay?” Yonghoon asked when he noticed the look on Harin’s face.

“Yeah,” Harin mumbled. He lifted his phone and pointed at it. “I just keep losing, you know?”

“Oh, that sucks,” Yonghoon said as he opened the door. “Don’t pay money for more lives though. That’s how they suck you in.” He practically flowed out into the hallway, letting the suite door click shut behind him. Harin growled.

I don’t know if I had any competition for Amanda’s affection when I met her. If I did, I never met any of the interested parties. Because of that, I couldn’t decide if Harin’s jealousy was ridiculous or justified. Either way, I didn’t like my hyungs in a rivalry. And it  _ was  _ a rivalry. They were tripping over themselves trying to one-up each other. I don’t even know if Lydia noticed how hard they were both trying.

I found Nickelodeon on the television and set the remote down so the three of us could watch SpongeBob. Dongmyeong joined us when he finished in the shower, lifting Giwook’s legs off the sofa and taking a seat. He placed Giwook’s legs in his own lap and pinched at his knees to make Giwook yelp and squirm. “That tickles, Myeong-ah!” Giwook whined. “How would you like it if I tickled you?”

“I  _ do  _ like it when you tickle me,” Dongmyeong said, resting his head on Giwook’s legs. “You were fine with me tickling you last night.”

“Hey, totally different situation,” Giwook argued.

“Probably the type of situation you guys should keep to yourselves,” I said as I cupped my hand over Giwook’s mouth. He licked my palm and I recoiled, wiping his spit on his shirt.

“Why?” Dongmyeong giggled. “What do you think we do in bed anyway, hyung?”

“I’m going to assume you sleep and hope I’m right,” I said, leaning my elbow on the armrest of the sofa. I glanced over at Harin and hoped the look in my eyes would be enough to get him to join me in trying to shut the maknae line up.

“Giwook-ah usually just sticks it in my-”

“Stop!” Harin blurted. “Dongmyeong-ah, that’s more than enough. I love you both very much. I have always been and will always be absolutely thrilled that you have each other. But I  _ do not  _ need to hear about your sex life.”

Yonghoon came back into the suite looking stunned. “Beware of Leelee,” he said as he slipped his shoes off at the door. He draped himself casually over the other chair in the living area. He looked pale. “Just… trust me on that.”

“What happened?” Harin asked.

“I went to her room to ask her to go out with me,” Yonghoon began, “and she snapped at me.” His voice raised in pitch and he quoted her. “‘What, you think I want to spend every waking moment with you? Because I don’t, oppa! Give me a fucking break for five minutes!’ Scary, guys. She’s totally scary.”

“Like a light switch?” Giwook asked. “She was nice earlier.”

“Amanda gets moody during her period too,” I said with a shrug. “It’s pretty normal. Let her cool off for a while. Maybe make an offering of chocolate. Either way, she’ll go back to normal when everything balances out again.” My members all stared at me like I was crazy. “What?”

“I forgot we have a resident expert on women now,” Yonghoon said, rolling his eyes. “So you think it’s not just me though?”

“I think it’s probably not just you,” I said. “We could try science. Send Harin over, since he’s the only other one of us in a position to ask her out, and see if she does it to him as well. And then we’ll throw Dongmyeong to the wolf and see if she reacts differently to a gay man who just wants to hang out and chat with her.”

“Science sounds like too much work,” Yonghoon complained. “I think I’d rather just wait a week.”

“Seriously. Bring her Advil and chocolate,” I said. “It never fails with Amanda.”

“Are you trying to help him win?” Harin accused.

“Win?” Yonghoon asked. “Win what? What am I winning?”

“Noona,” Harin elaborated.

“What are you  _ talking  _ about?” Yonghoon growled.

“Hyung, you know I like her!” Harin whined.

“Stop it!” Dongmyeong wailed. “Both of you, shut the fuck up! We’re a band. We don’t do this shit. You are not fucking everything up for everybody over a girl you know you shouldn’t even be giving a second glance.” His bottom lip quivered. “We have worked too hard and come too far for you to fuck the rest of us over, so just stop.” Tension crackled like the air after a lightning strike as Dongmyeong went on. “We are family, not rivals. And did you ever stop to consider Lydia-noona’s opinion? Maybe she doesn’t want either of you. Now, kiss and make up, Goddammit.”

“I’m… I’m not kissing him,” Yonghoon said.

“I’d kiss you,” Harin shrugged. Yonghoon tried and failed to suppress a smile, snorted, and finally cracked, laughing like nothing ever happened. “Come here and kiss me, hyung.” Harin opened his arms wide and grinned. “Or I’ll come to you. I’m not scared.”

“I don’t want a kiss,” Yonghoon whined.

“I’m kissing you,” Harin declared as he stood up from his chair and crossed the room. He bent over Yonghoon’s chair, bringing his face close to the eldest’s cheek. Yonghoon, trapped in his seat, backed away as much as he could. Harin climbed into Yonghoon’s lap and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “All better?”

“I… no,” Yonghoon spluttered. “I did not appreciate that. Get off me.”

“Tell me you love me first.”

“I love you, Harin-ah,” Yonghoon grunted as he tried to push the drummer off.

“I love you too, hyung.” Harin stood and ruffled Dongmyeong’s hair on his way back to his seat. “Do they have Korean subtitles here?” He pointed to the TV, where SpongeBob and Patrick were stealing a balloon on Free Balloon Day. “Probably not, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comebacks and covers and WeUs interactions, oh my!  
> Who's going to win the rivalry? Or is Lydia totally not interested in either of them?  
> Or will someone else join the fight?  
> *waggles fingers mysteriously*


	6. Chapter 6

*용훈*

Harin and I were still kind of fighting when we went to bed that night. I lay down next to him, staring up at the ceiling. “Harin-ah,” I whispered.

“Hyung,” he replied.

“Dongmyeong’s right, you know.” I turned onto my side and looked at Harin. He turned his head to look warily back. “We’re family. ONEWE is a team. Whatever happens, we support each other, right?”

“Right.”

“I propose that neither of us should try. We’ll be good friends to Leelee. If she decides she wants more with one of us, then good for that guy.”

“I think that’s the smartest thing you’ve said since we met her,” Harin said with a smirk.

“Ah,  _ that’s  _ more like it!” I breathed, gently slugging his shoulder. “Goodnight, Harin-ah.”

By morning, I was wrapped tightly around my drummer. I quickly untangled myself before he could wake up and push me out of bed, because he absolutely would. I got up to use the bathroom. I could smell coffee in the common area. Hyungu and the maknaes had brewed some in the kitchenette. The three of them sat in front of the TV, sipping coffee and eating instant oatmeal while that cartoon Giwook liked so much played on the screen. I didn’t understand it, but the characters were cute. I poured a cup of coffee for myself and sat in one of the chairs. “Is this Digimon?” I asked.

“Adventure Time, hyung,” Giwook corrected. 

“I always get those two mixed up,” I laughed. I sipped my coffee.

“That’s because you’re a grandfather,” Hyungu mumbled.

“Hey,” I defended, “I’m a single grandfather with custody of my four grandsons  _ and  _ I’m maintaining a music career while I raise them. Where did you guys find oatmeal?”

“There’s a bunch of single-serve breakfast stuff in the rack by the fridge,” Dongmyeong explained. “I got the only strawberry cream one. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I said, grinning at him. I went back to the kitchenette to see what I could find. I made myself a bowl of blueberry oatmeal and leaned against the counter while I ate it. 

There was a knock at the door and Hyungu sprang up from his seat to answer it. “Oh, noona!” he said, stepping aside to let Leelee in the suite. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’, boys,” she sang. Her bleached and neon-streaked hair was gathered into two tiny, low pigtails. It was a cute look. “Oh look, you get appliances and everything! Damn, this is nice! Oppa!” She fluttered her fingers at me in greeting. “I want to talk to you.”

“Okay,” I said through a mouthful of oatmeal. I was suddenly  _ very  _ aware of my grey sweatpants and stretched-out white t-shirt, my unwashed face and messy bedhead. Leelee approached and reached up to flatten the part of my hair that always sticks up in the mornings.

“I just want to apologize for yesterday,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. I’m feeling much better today.”

I wanted to say something back. I really did. The words wouldn’t come out as long as she was touching my hair. I nodded instead. She smiled up at me, rounding her cheeks and crinkling her eyes. She let her hand drop back to her side and I found my words again. “I’m glad you feel better,” I said.

“Me too,” she agreed, “but it’ll probably happen again next month. Fair warning.” She tiptoed her way into the living area and flopped into one of the chairs in front of the TV. “Snap, dudes!” she exclaimed in English. “I didn’t know you liked Adventure Time!”

“It’s my favorite!” Giwook informed her.

“Have you seen Bravest Warriors?” she asked, switching back to Korean. Giwook shook his head. “Same creator, probably same universe and time period. It’s amazing. I bought access to all four seasons if you want to watch it sometime.”

Harin was finally dragging himself out of the bedroom, touseling his short, messy hair. He yawned, shuffling into the kitchenette. The smell of coffee had apparently drawn him out as well. He poured a cup for himself and proceeded to guzzle it, since the coffee in the pot had cooled off just enough. He opened his eyes fully and looked at me. “Where did you get oatmeal?” he asked. And so it was my turn to explain the breakfast situation.

In the living area, Leelee was modifying the Adventure Time theme song, to Giwook’s utter delight. “It’s ONEWE time,” she sang, “they grabbed all their friends to go to a very distant land. Yonghoon the Dog to Giwook the Bunny, the concerts never end. It’s ONEWE time!”

She’s probably an amazing babysitter.

“Lydia’s here,” Harin observed, scooping a spoonful of banana oatmeal into his mouth. I nodded. “She came to watch cartoons?”

“She came to apologize for being mean to me yesterday,” I said. 

Harin sniffed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “That’s good.” He ate his oatmeal as fast as he could manage. “I’m showering, if everyone is fine with that,” he announced, tossing his disposable dishes in the trash on his way out of the kitchenette. 

“Oh, yeah, I should let you guys get ready for the day,” Leelee said. She rocked up out of the chair and landed gracefully on her feet. “Giwook-ah, come find me if you want to watch Bravest Warriors. We can binge the first couple of seasons in like two hours.”

“Okay. Bye, noona!” the maknae said. Leelee waggled her fingers at us one more time on her way out the door, and then she was gone.

When we were ready to go, we climbed into the rented van together. It had become routine. Giwook and Dongmyeong sat in the very back together, so they could cuddle close together and have their own private conversations. I sat in the middle with Hyungu. One row ahead of us, Harin and Leelee guarded the snack bin together. The driver was probably already sick of us throwing chips and fruit snacks around behind him.

The venue was another small nightclub, like the three we had played in California. It looked less-than-savory on the outside, with cracked wood siding and a sign so sunbaked and faded you could hardly make out the letters on it. It had a tin roof. Inside was a little better. The air was cool and fairly dry, the floor sticky under our feet. Neon beer signs flashed on all the walls. The stage was the lowest we’d played so far in the USA. 

We unloaded our gear and carried it in through the back door by the stage. The stage was quite small. Harin set himself up to fill the smallest area possible without having cymbals clanging against each other. Hyungu squeezed into the corner between me and the wall. Dongmyeong, often occupying a space somewhere behind and to the left of Giwook, was almost totally hidden behind his fiancé. I held my arms close to my body during rehearsal, lest I bang my knuckles against Giwook’s bass headstock or smack Hyungu in the face. The life of a rock star, I suppose.

In this case, backstage was just the van. We didn’t get a nice, cozy little green room. 

Dongmyeong’s phone went off while I was doing my makeup an hour before the show. It was a KakaoTalk video call. He swiped it open and greeted his twin, Dongju. “Little brother!” Dongmyeong squealed at the phone. Dongju yawned on the screen. “Did you get up early just to talk to me?”

“I set an alarm,” Dongju’s deep voice said through the speakers of the phone. “I wanted to check up on you guys. How’s the tour so far?”

“It’s amazing,” Dongmyeong gushed. “We’re playing in a really small club in Dallas tonight, so we have to get ready in the van. See?” He swung his phone around, showing every angle so Dongju could see all of us. “But other than that, I’m having so much fun. We have an interpreter and she’s really nice. Lydia-noona. She helps onstage mostly, but sometimes we need her for other stuff too. And I think we’re all getting better at English because of her. She always makes us order for ourselves in restaurants.”

“That’s cool,” Dongju said. “I’m trying not to be too loud. I’m the only one awake right now, as far as I know. And I can’t be on too long. We have a schedule today.”

“Oh. Okay!” Dongmyeong said. “I’m sorry I just talked so much and so loud. Is there anything else you wanted?”

“Is everyone staying healthy?” Dongju asked.

“Yes,” Dongmyeong answered. “We’re eating a lot of good food and sleeping well.”

“And my future brother-in-law is okay too?”

At his mention, Giwook rested his chin on Dongmyeong’s shoulder and smiled across the ocean to Korea, waving. “I’m fine, Dongju-yah,” he said. “Thanks. I’m taking good care of your brother.”

“Good,” Dongju said. “Keep taking care of him. I miss you guys already. Have a safe tour. We’ll see you in New York, okay?”

“Love you, Dongju-yah!” Dongmyeong blew kisses at his brother.

“Gross,” Dongju growled. “Love you too. I’ll text you later.”

Dongmyeong put his phone away and started on his eye makeup for the night. With a perfectly steady hand, he dragged eyeliner along his eyelashes, flicking it at the corners of his eyes and accentuating their shape. I wished I could do that so effortlessly.

“Somebody needs to teach me how to do K-pop makeup,” Leelee said. She let down her pigtails and shook out her hair, then split it down the middle and re-tied them so they were tight and even. “I feel like such a poser up there with my basic American makeup looks when you guys are all glowing.”

“Give me that,” Harin said, pointing to her eyeliner pen. She handed it over and he uncapped it, then cupped her chin. “Now close your eyes. I’m not as good as Dongmyeong, but I’m a lot closer to you right now.” He gently drew in black along her upper lash line, letting it dip down at the inner corners. “You should spend some time learning from him, really. Maybe tomorrow or something?”

“I’m sure you’re doing fine,” Leelee mumbled as he moved the pen to her other eye. He pulled back, capped the pen, and set it down with her makeup again. She looked in her mirror. “Holy hell, Harin! Where did you guys learn this shit?” She looked back at the rest of us. “Look at my eyes!”

Harin’s handiwork was already a far cry from the dramatic cat eyes Leelee and other American girls seemed to favor, and all he’d done was her eyeliner. If she spent an hour under Dongmyeong’s careful hands, we probably wouldn’t recognize her anymore.

“It’s called puppy style,” Harin explained. “Much softer and more youthful than a cat eye. You look gentle and cute. It goes well with the pigtails.”

“You are a god,” Leelee gushed, taking just one of Harin’s big hands in both of her tiny ones. 

I know I said it wasn’t a competition, but I could feel myself losing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Dongju cameo!  
> Yonghoon's confusion during Adventure Time brought to you by that VLive where he said he always mixes it up with Digimon.  
> (Come on, Yonghoonie, you and I are both old enough to remember when Digimon was cool!)


	7. Chapter 7

_- Harin -_

I got up somewhat early the next morning to ensure I had time to shave. My facial hair grows fairly easily. I think I’ll look good with a beard someday, just not yet. So I carefully, and with laser-sharp precision, evicted the scruffy hair that had taken up residence on my cheeks, somehow still managing to give myself the tiniest nick on my throat. It stopped bleeding almost immediately. The next order of business was switching out my shaving kit for my skincare and taking care of my dry face, which is only exacerbated when I shave. I zipped up the case and headed back to the bedroom Yonghoon and I shared, tossing my shaving kit into my luggage and retrieving another small bag, this one packed with toners and moisturizers. 

On my way back to the bathroom, I caught sight of Dongmyeong and Lydia on the sofa. He was digging through a makeup bag, taking things out, studying them, and putting them back. “I think most of this will work out okay,” he told her. “Okay, face me and hold still. Close your eyes.” I watched him gently apply her makeup for a couple of minutes before getting back to my routine.

While patting a moisturizing emulsion into my skin, I wondered again why I bother. I spend all my stage time hiding behind everyone else. I could let my eyebrows get unruly and my skin become dry and sun-damaged. Couldn’t I? And then I would just hide it all under a beard. 

After finishing my skincare, I brushed my teeth and left the bathroom, carrying the dark blue canvas bag with me. I put it away in the bedroom and went to watch TV in the common area. “Ah, hyung!” Dongmyeong whined, trying to block Lydia’s face with his body. “Nobody’s allowed to be out here yet! We’re not done! You can’t see her!”

“What am I, the Mona Lisa?” Lydia giggled.

“Pretty much!” Dongmyeong said. “Now keep still. I can’t do this when you’re laughing.” He cupped his hand over the side of her face while he tapped something onto her cheeks with his fingertip. “Hyung, please go away. Go for a walk. That’s what everyone else did.”

“Oh,  _ that’s  _ where they went!” I said. “I was a little confused by how empty the suite is.”

“Yeah, noona got here and I told everyone to go fuck themselves until I’m done with her.” Dongmyeong tilted his head, staring intently at Lydia’s face. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and dug in her makeup bag again, this time using only the hand that wasn’t hiding her from me.

“Even your man?”

“Go, hyung,” Dongmyeong insisted. “Go find breakfast or something. Text the others and see where they ended up.”

I put my shoes on at the door and left the suite, dialing Hyungu’s phone while I walked down the hall. “Yeoboseyo?” his voice mumbled on the other end.

“Where did you guys go?” I asked. “Dongmyeong just told me to get out.”

“Oh, there’s a diner at the corner,” he said. “Leave the hotel through the front door and take a left. Just walk until you hit the traffic light. It’s right there. We’re here, eating pancakes.”

I heard Giwook’s muffled voice in the background. “I have a waffle,” he corrected.

“Oh, excuse me,” Hyungu said. “We’re having pancakes, except Giwook-ah. He has a waffle instead. It’s just a checkered pancake, kid.”

“No,” Giwook argued. “Waffles have syrup pockets.”

I laughed. “I’ll be there in just a bit, okay?” I said. “Can you guys order some food for me too?”

“Yeah,” Hyungu said. “Do you want a smooth pancake or the kind with syrup pockets?”

I reached the front door of the hotel and took hold of the brass handle. “I mean, I’ll get a lot more syrup if I have pockets for it,” I reasoned. “Order me a waffle. Then Giwook doesn’t have to be the odd man out.”

“What a good hyung, always thinking about the maknae first. See you soon.”

I walked through the hot sunshine to the diner at the corner of the block and stepped inside. It was a big building with high ceilings and hip, old-fashioned bare light bulbs casting a yellowish glow over everything. “Hey, there!” A pretty redhead said as she breezed by. “Have a seat where you like. We’ll be with you real quick.” I nodded and scanned the room, looking for a shock of bright blue hair. I found it and made a beeline for the table where my friends sat.

“Woo! Waffle Team, unite!” Giwook cheered when he spotted me. He raised his palm over his head. “Get it, hyung! Five me! Hyung!” I stared at him. “Come on, hyung! You have to. We’re Waffle Team!”

“Waffle Team!” I finally agreed, laughing and slapping my palm against the maknae’s. 

“Our food took like, five minutes,” Hyungu said. “They’re really fast here. They already brought you a glass of orange juice, see?” He pointed at a tall, almost overflowing glass of very pulpy orange juice. “They make it in-house. It’s good as hell. Dongmyeong-ah and Lydia-noona are missing out.”

My waffle arrived at the table. They also brought me two fried eggs, two crisp strips of bacon, and chunky fried potatoes. American breakfast is really something! I poured syrup over my waffle. “You see?” Giwook began, pointing to my plate. “Look. The syrup pockets make waffles far superior to pancakes. They have more surface area touching the cooking surface, so they get crispier than pancakes. And Harin-hyung doesn’t have a pool of syrup making the bottom of his waffle soggy because the pockets are holding the syrup! Waffle Team!”

“You’re such a weird kid,” Yonghoon laughed. “I love you.”

“Don’t love me,” Giwook said. “Love the syrup pockets.”

As I was polishing off the last bite of bacon, Giwook’s phone flashed and vibrated with a text alert. He informed the rest of us that Dongmyeong was done and we were allowed to go back to the hotel. I looked sadly at my not-quite-gone breakfast. I crammed a whole fried egg in my mouth. “You don’t have to inhale it,” Yonghoon said. He sipped from a steaming mug of coffee. “I kind of like it here.”

I managed to finish my entire breakfast platter before we headed back to the hotel. The abundance of fried foods made me a little sluggish and I trailed behind the other three, who had all had more time to digest than I did. Do I regret that breakfast? God, no. Never. I knew it would become an occasional craving for the rest of my life.

Seungjin and Manager Hansoo were in the suite when we got back. We greeted them in two very different ways. Seungjin liked a fist bump and a casual, “Hey, hyung!” Manager Hansoo, on the other hand, demanded respect. We bowed slightly and he rolled his eyes.

“This is the dumbest thing,” he grumbled. “Dongmyeong-ssi.” Manager Hansoo turned around to address the member in question. “Do you want to be an idol or a stylist?”

“Well,” Dongmyeong began, folding his arms, “on this tour, I’m forced to be both.” He popped his hip and gave our manager the most searing side-eye I’ve ever seen. He used to be so shy. All the attitude he’d developed over the years was actually pretty impressive. Fearless Idol Son Dongmyeong! There, I just named his K-drama. If I could afford it, I’d pay someone to write it for him.

“Come on, nae sarang,” Giwook coaxed, using his favorite pet name for his fiancé. “Let’s see your handiwork.”

“Noona!” Dongmyeong singsonged. “Show everybody your new concert look!”

Lydia stepped out of the bathroom dressed in her typical casual style. Her hair was blown back from her face in tiny waves, making it look a little shorter. Her skin looked dewy. She had blush the shade of a juicy peach coloring her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Dongmyeong had done a puppy-style eyeliner similar to the way I did it the night before, but with the addition of fine glitter at the inner corners of her eyes. Her lips were plumped, colored by a warm coral tint, and covered in wet-looking gloss. She fluttered long, curled eyelashes at us, showing the perfect job Dongmyeong had done blending a soft peach-colored shadow on her eyelids. The effect was pretty breathtaking. “Do I look okay?” she asked.

“You look,” I began, “like a… you look really… peachy. Soft and warm and flushed. It’s a good look.” I wondered if my pupils had turned to little hearts.

“That’s an incredible makeover,” Hyungu commented, nodding approvingly. “Really pretty.”

“I love it,” Yonghoon said. “You might distract me at the concert though. Promise you won’t?”

“If you promise not to speak in Gyeongsang satoori and throw me off again,” Lydia said, smirking at our leader. He blushed and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Seoul-mal only, please.”

“I could teach you my dialect,” Yonghoon offered, shrugging. “I mean if you’d like to learn. You’ll understand more Korean music and television if you study dialects. I’m a native speaker. You might as well use me.”

“You’re allowed to give language lessons under supervision,” Manager Hansoo jumped in. “We can’t have you getting distracted and doing something reckless. You have three reputations to keep in mind: yours, your band’s, and your company’s.”

“I’ll give you a lesson in the van before the concert tonight,” Yonghoon said. “Does that sound good?”

“Okay,” Lydia agreed. 

I could feel myself becoming jealous, wishing I had something cool to teach. I must have been scowling, because Hyungu patted me on the back and gave me a warning glance. Yonghoon and I had an agreement. There was no reason for me to get jealous. None.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the Son brothers blessed us all with twinteractions again!  
> And fought with each other like... well, like a pair of brothers.


	8. Chapter 8

@_KangHyun

By the time we reached the venue that night, Dongmyeong was in mourning over the incredible peachy makeup look he had done for Lydia in the morning. Her products just weren’t strong enough to stand up to the day, and it all ended up mostly melting in the heat. She cleaned off what was left with a cleansing wipe and he managed to do it all again in only a few minutes, now that he knew exactly what he was doing. While Dongmyeong worked on her face in the very back of the van, Yonghoon worked on her Gyeongsang satoori skills. “There are only a few really minor differences in pronunciation and verb endings,” he explained. “And some words are almost totally different, but once you understand how it works, it will be very easy for you to understand me when I speak it.”

“Uh-huh,” she replied, doing her best not to move a single muscle in her face. 

“Some people say it sounds brash and lazy, but in general, it’s an accent that’s considered manly if you’re a guy, and cute if you’re a girl,” he went on. “So if you learn to speak my dialect, it will be cute. Not that you’re not cute already.” Harin scoffed in the seat in front of me. He said they had a truce, but he was clearly still not over it.

Dongmyeong’s hands left her face just long enough for Lydia to ask, “Why are there still different dialects? Korea’s tiny and the internet makes the whole world smaller.”

“Regional pride, mostly,” Yonghoon said as he started work on his eye makeup. He was always a little heavy-handed when he did his own eyeshadow, smudging the brown powder below his eyes. “When I talk, and I’m not using Seoul-mal, everyone knows where I came from.”

I jumped into the conversation, unable to stop myself. “You should learn as much about dialects as possible, noona,” I said. “If you ever come to visit us, you need to be able to understand people. We should hook you up with our friend Yeo Hwanwoong. He’s originally from Jeonju. They have a dialect too, and he’s fluent in it.”

“Jeonju’s dialect is cute,” Yonghoon said. “Of course, it helps that Hwanwoong-ah is adorable. Just learn one dialect at a time though. Start with mine.” He dropped his setting powder, spilling some on the floor of the van. “Ah, shit. I don’t like getting ready in a van!”

“Well, this will hopefully be the last time we have to, hyung,” I said. 

“Yeah, hopefully,” he agreed, taking a deep breath. 

“You got no chill,” Lydia said in English.

“You can tell me exactly what the fuck that means later,” Yonghoon said. “Right now is satoori time.” He started teaching her how Gyeongsang satoori actually works. Lydia caught on with impressive speed. I guess she really was a linguistic genius, just like Manager Hansoo said. There’s definitely something special about a girl with brains. She’s not trying to skate through life on her looks, although I was confident she probably could.

Seungjin opened the door of the van when it was time for us to head for the stage. He ushered us into the tiny nightclub and we took up our spots on the cramped little stage. Lydia sat on the steps at the side of the stage while we performed, hopping up to join us during the times we interacted with the audience. To be clear, we _did_ make an effort to speak English for everyone. And I think we were getting better and better with each passing day. But we often made mistakes and that’s when Lydia would swoop in and save us. She also MC’d the giveaway again.

This show was far different from any others we’d played. This time, one of the bartenders hand-delivered a gin & tonic to Yonghoon while we were onstage and we all learned what a “social” is. Also, I'm pretty sure Manager Hansoo had the place blacklisted because of it. I was a little envious of my hyung. The frontman gets all the perks, doesn’t he? Harin and I are over the legal drinking age in the USA. We should have got drinks too!

Anyway, as soon as the drink was in his hand, the crowd started calling for a social. Yonghoon looked helplessly at Lydia and shrugged his shoulders. She went to his side and he pulled out one of his monitors to hear her. “It means when you drink, they drink,” Lydia hollered over the crowd. Yonghoon’s lips formed an “o” shape and he nodded as sagely as if he now understood the entire universe. He brought the glass to his lips and everyone whooped, clinking their own drinks together and taking a few swallows - or gulps. 

One mixed drink does not a drunken frontman make, but he was definitely feeling something by the time he finished it. Manager Hansoo tried to scold and discipline Yonghoon after the show, but he gave up when Yonghoon pointed out how rude it would be for him to refuse the bartender’s hospitality.

We sat down for drinks after the concert. Dongmyeong and Giwook were planning on heading back to the hotel with Seungjin and Manager Hansoo, leaving Lydia to babysit the rest of us. But the head bartender, who spoke exactly like Sandy Cheeks made me expect Texans to speak, pointed at them when the rest of us sat down. “What about them two?” he asked. “They don’t drink?”

It took me a few seconds to decipher his accent. “They are minors,” I explained in English. “Only twenty.”

“Ah, shit,” he cursed. “Close enough. Pull up a stool, boys. Just don’t you tell no one I done this. Gon’ get fired if they find out I done this.” He poured a strong-smelling amber liquid into two shot glasses, setting them in front of the couple. “Y’all can have one shot and one beer, and then I’m cutting you off,” he told them. “You can have a Coke after that.”

Giwook lifted the shot glass and shrugged. Dongmyeong eyed his own glass suspiciously. Only Lydia actually saw the bottle the bartender had poured from, and she watched carefully with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. Giwook went first, downing the shot in two gulps. He set the glass down on the bar, scrunching up his face and shaking his head. The bartender snickered and poured Giwook a light beer to wash the taste out of his mouth. Dongmyeong drank his shot with a little less urgency, but a much bigger reaction. He groaned and whimpered as he set the glass back down. “Oh, God!” he exclaimed. “That’s disgusting! What was in that?”

“That was José Cuervo, honey,” Lydia laughed from her seat between Harin and me. “Congratulations, guys! You’ve now tried my least favorite tequila!”

“Why don’t you like it?” I asked.

“Because it’s vile,” she replied nonchalantly, sipping her vodka and cranberry juice. “That shit tastes the way gasoline smells. Of course, one Fourth of July, it was all I had to drink out at the lake. Downed half a bottle like a shot. That… that was a bad idea on my part.”

“Why?” Harin asked. “What happened?”

“First, I nearly asphyxiated myself on the fumes in my mouth,” Lydia explained. “Then I decided the fireworks and the boys were overrated and I wanted to go inside and eat Cocoa Puffs. So I did. I poured myself a big bowl of Cocoa Puffs and ate them very slowly. If nothing else, it got rid of that nasty gasoline flavor.”

We were well and truly tipsy for the ride back to the hotel. Well, all except Dongmyeong and Giwook, who had been forcibly switched to soda after their tequila and beer. We had no photos of them drinking, so no one had to find out, but I still reminded them not to say a word about it to Seungjin and Manager Hansoo. 

“We won’t say anything,” Giwook promised. Dongmyeong grabbed him by the hips from behind, gently dragging him backwards towards their room. “I promise, hyung. We’re not as dumb as we look.”

“You are, sometimes,” Dongmyeong teased. He sank his teeth into his fiancé’s shoulder and growled. “Come to bed with me, now.”

“Whatever you guys do in there, keep it down,” I said. “I don’t want to listen to you having sex.”

“You brought headphones,” Dongmyeong said. “Use them.”

“We’ll be quiet, hyung,” Giwook promised. “At least, I’ll be quiet. I can’t really speak for this one.” He turned around and scooped Dongmyeong up, letting the elder’s legs wrap around his waist. Dongmyeong squealed in delight and kissed Giwook’s cheek. “Maybe keep your headphones handy though.” He carried Dongmyeong into their bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.

I pulled out the mattress that hid under the sofa cushions and retrieved the pillow and blanket from the small linen closet attached to the living area. I sat on the thin mattress and leaned against the backrest, covering my lower half with the blanket. Then I opened my novel, taking care not to lose my bookmark by setting it someplace stupid. I’ve done it before.

It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, but at least I didn’t have to share with a cuddler or worry about keeping someone awake with my reading. It wasn’t long before I heard the couple going at it in their room. I ignored it for a few minutes, and then I heard a particularly loud cry from Dongmyeong, followed by Giwook laughing, and then what sounded like a slap. Yeah, no more of that. I popped my noise-canceling earbuds in and lost myself in the pages of my book.

As I was organizing my luggage the next morning, I heard Yonghoon scolding the maknae line. “You guys were way too loud last night,” he said. “We all share walls, you guys. Somehow, I think they’re thinner here than they are back home.”

“Sorry, hyung,” Giwook said, acting like he was genuinely ashamed.

“At least we’re not as loud as Hwanwoong-hyung,” Dongmyeong shrugged.

“Wait, what?” Giwook blurted, turning to his other half. And it appeared my morning had become a TV drama!

“Ah, I let it slip,” Dongmyeong mumbled. “Remember when we first started at the company and we moved in? And I already knew some of the members from when we were on Produce 101 together? Yeah, he and I kind of had a thing for like, a minute. Not even a thing. I blew him twice.”

I expected Giwook to be upset or jealous. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and picked up his backpack. “I guess that’s where your talent comes from,” he said as he made for the door of the suite. “Does anybody have anything they want me to bring down to the van? I’m going now.”

I picked up my bags and followed the maknae down to the parking lot. Harin was already in the van, his head leaning against the window. His eyes were only half-open. Harin handles his liquor just fine, but the next morning is another story entirely. I jumped into my usual seat behind him and put an arm around his shoulders. “Hyung,” I said softly in his ear. “How are you feeling?”

Harin groaned in response and I gave him a squeeze. “I hope I don’t get sick in transit,” he mumbled.

“You’ll be okay,” I assured him. I rubbed his shoulders for a moment until Dongmyeong joined us. He crouched and wriggled his way to the back, plopping down next to Giwook and cuddling in close. "Dongmyeong-ah, that was way too much information earlier!" I scolded.

"Well, I'm sorry you overheard me, I guess," he laughed. 

Yonghoon and Lydia were the last to arrive, and they did so together, talking and laughing as they walked to the van. Yonghoon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she poked him in the side playfully. I just hoped Harin was too distracted by his hangover to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp*  
> Is stuff happening? Are things occurring?  
> Guess you'll have to read Yonghoon's chapter when I get it up.


	9. Chapter 9

*용훈*

We had a suite again in Atlanta. After claiming my side of the bed, I told Hyungu I was going to speak with Manager Hansoo about something. “Liar,” he accused immediately. “I know your body language. You’re lying. I won’t tell Harin, but for the record, I think you’re committing foul play.”

“How do you fucking do that?” I asked in disbelief. “I can’t put anything past you.”

“Every friend group needs a bullshit detector,” Hyungu shrugged. “Hurry up before I change my mind.”

Visiting Leelee in her hotel room was  _ not  _ foul play, was it? I was desperate to know where I stood with her. I rapped my knuckles against the door and in a moment it was opened. Leelee looked surprised to see me in the hallway, but she collected herself quickly and said, “Oh, oppa!” She pulled the door open further, stepping to the side to let me in before shutting it behind me. “What do you need?”

“I just wanted to come and talk to you,” I said, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Do you like Harin-ah?” It wasn’t what I meant to talk about. I wanted to ask her how she felt about  _ me _ . But it was out now.

Leelee laughed her pretty, musical laugh. “What do you mean?” she asked. “You mean like, do I  _ like  _ him?” She pursed her lips thoughtfully and sat down next to me. “Yeah, maybe. I think I really do. He’s so sweet and silly. And playful. Handsome. Why? What do you know? Did… did he send you?”

“What if _ I _ like you?” I asked with my heart in my throat.

“I’d say you were crazy,” she laughed.

“What if I  _ am  _ crazy?” I scooted closer.

“I don’t think I could trust a crazy man, oppa.” Leelee leaned into me.

I lightly brushed my fingertips against her jaw, coaxing her closer, barely daring to breathe when her nose touched mine. I let my lips part slightly before pressing them slowly, almost hesitantly, against hers. They were thinner than I was used to. I’d never kissed a white girl before and, well, Korean girls and boys tend to have much fuller lips, but I adjusted to the feeling as she kissed me back. Her lips were warm and they tasted sweet, no doubt from the cinnamon roll she ate on the ride from the airport to the hotel. I cupped her supple cheek with my hand and pressed my mouth more fully against hers. She pulled back and I followed, brushing tiny additional kisses over her lips and the tip of her nose.

“Oppa, you really might be crazy,” she breathed, eyes still closed. She pulled back all the way and opened them. “Why did you ask me about Harin-ah?”

I bit my lip, hesitating. “Well,” I said as I folded my hands in my lap, “I’m not the only one interested. And we’ve been kind of… fighting about it.”

“I wish you would have told me that before you kissed me.” Leelee lay back on the bed with a huff, letting her legs dangle off the edge. “I don’t want to be the reason you’re fighting with your friend.”

I ran my hand through my hair, then leaned on my elbow beside her, studying her face. “I assume that means I don’t get to kiss you again.”

“Yeah, I’d rather you didn’t,” Leelee said. She reached over to touch my cheek. “It’s not that I don’t like you, oppa. You’re lovely. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt. And it’s still early. We haven’t known each other long. You might have a shot later on.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get,” I laughed. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Just like every night,” she confirmed. I got up to leave and Leelee sat up in bed, tucking her feet under herself. “Bye, oppa!”

I barely poked my head out the door, scanning both ways, and then stepped into the hall. I didn’t want Manager Hansoo to catch me leaving Leelee’s room, even if my intentions were innocent. Why it was okay for Giwook and Dongmyeong to share a room, but not for the rest of us to be alone with women, I would never understand. Maybe it was because they were engaged. Newly engaged couples are like honeymooners, right? Just desperate to be together. I was sure I’d get to have that again someday, whether with Leelee or… well, I won’t tell you his name. A man needs to have  _ some _ secrets.

Of course, as I made my way back to the suite, I decided my trip to Leelee’s room shouldn’t be one. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe Hyungu was right and I was fighting dirty. I think I felt guilty the moment I entered her hotel room, knowing my original plan had been to get her to date me in secret. I can lie about having indigestion to prank Giwook, but I can’t lie about the big stuff. I knew I had to talk to Harin as soon as I was back in the suite. But I hesitated before opening the door.  _ Should we talk here?  _ I wondered.  _ Maybe I should take him someplace public. That way he can’t punch me when I tell him.  _ Now, I wasn’t expecting to get hit. Harin is a gentle soul.  _ Very  _ gentle. My mind was just trying to cover all the bases. God, I even felt guilty about thinking he might try to hurt me.

When I got inside, I found Giwook and Harin on the sofa with their Nintendo Switches, playing a Pokémon game. At least, I assumed it was Pokémon. They were talking about trading and boxes and something called the Gym Challenge. I played a little Pokémon in my day. I think I grew out of it in my teens, but my bandmates all kept playing. “Harin-ah,” I said, taking off my shoes at the door. He glanced up from the screen and smiled in greeting. I hesitated. Was I really about to ruin his mood? “I have to talk to you about something when you have a few free minutes.”

“Okay,” he said. “Let me just sort my party. I really want this Roggenrolla to level up.”

“You might as well be speaking Italian,” I said. “I’ve never heard of Roggenrolla. It must be one of the new ones.”

“Come and see,” Harin said, beckoning me over to the sofa. I joined him, leaning in close to see the screen. “Basically, it’s a rock.”

“It… certainly is,” I laughed. Maybe I’d consider getting one of the newer Pokémon games. “Take your time with this. It’s not like anything I have to tell you is urgent.”

“Okay. Oh, look at this one!” Harin pointed at his screen. “I forgot what it’s called because I gave it a nickname. Anyway, it’s like an electric corgi! It even has a heart-shaped butt!”

“That’s adorable.” I stretched to see Giwook’s screen too. “I remember Pikachu. Do you guys have Pikachu?”

“Everyone has Pikachu, hyung,” Giwook said. “It was a giveaway.”

“Well,  _ I  _ don’t have Pikachu,” I mumbled.

“Neither do I,” Harin said. “Mine evolved.”

“You guys are dorks,” Hyungu announced as he brought his laptop out into the sitting area. “I’d play too, but I have homework. I didn’t feel like doing it in the bedroom. I get lonely when I do it that way all the time.”

“ _ You  _ get  _ lonely? _ ” I blurted.

“Yeah,” Hyungu said. He folded into the chair by the wall and plugged in his charger, flipping his laptop open. “You want to make a whole big case about it?”

“Kind of,” I snorted. 

Harin shut off the console in his hands and set it gingerly back into its case. “Ready when you are, hyung,” he said, looking at me expectantly.

And again, I was forced to decide if I  _ really  _ wanted to do this. Everything seemed to be back to normal. Harin was smiley again. He hadn’t glared at me once in the previous twenty-four hours or so, and that only made me feel worse about what I’d done. “Let’s go to the bedroom,” I suggested, standing up and tugging Harin along with me. As we left the living room, I heard Hyungu mumble to Giwook that I was an idiot. I mean, he wasn’t wrong.

I shut the door behind us and sat on the bed, taking a few deep breaths. Harin stared me down and crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned his back against the bedroom door, trapping us inside. “What did you do?” he demanded. “Clearly, you fucked up in some way.”

“I kissed Leelee,” I said. Harin’s back left the door and he crossed the room, aiming in my direction. I shrank. “Don’t hurt me,” I begged.

“I wasn’t planning on it, pabo,” he growled. Harin sat down next to me. “So that’s where you went? Hyungu-yah said you were going to Manager Hansoo. Why would you lie?”

I sighed and hunched over, resting my chin on my palms. “I don’t know,” I said. “Because I’m a coward? I wanted her to be my secret girlfriend. Isn’t that stupid?” Harin nodded. “But I told her the truth, that we’ve been fighting because we both like her. She doesn’t want to be involved with either of us now, for fear of hurting someone. But she said there’s still hope in the future, I guess. I don’t know if that means hope for me or for you. She likes you though. She thinks you’re handsome and sweet.” I scanned his face, settling on the dark, narrow eyes that stared coldly into my soul. “I guess she’s right about that, huh?”

Harin’s gaze softened and he smirked. “I’m keeping my pants on, hyung,” he cracked. “I don’t care how charming you are.”

“Are we good?” I asked.

“Oh, absolutely not,” Harin said. “You lied to me, you sneaky bastard. Thanks for coming clean, but I will definitely be pissed about this for a while. But because this band means the world to me, I’ll be civil with you. You have to earn me back as a friend.” He stood up from the bed and left the room, shutting the door gently. Just like that, I had lost one of my best friends. That ached somewhere deep.

I was hurting too much to eat that night. I stayed in the bedroom for the afternoon, emerging only while everyone else was out at dinner. I stretched out on the sofa and turned on the TV, flipping the channels until I found something in simple English. Okay, yes, it was a children’s show. I lay there for a while. My stomach growled like it was mad at me for skipping out on dinner. Maybe I’d go look for a snack later.

The suite’s door opened. “Hyung?” Dongmyeong cooed softly as my bandmates filed in. “Are you feeling any better?” I grunted in response. “Would you feel better if we squished you?”

“No,” I mumbled. Dongmyeong ignored me and climbed on top of me. “I don’t need to be squished,” I protested. Even as I said it, I felt a little better just from the little bit of affection Dongmyeong was sprinkling on me. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Dongmyeong said as he rubbed his cheek against my shoulder, “but I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Yonghoon.
> 
> I had a metric ass-ton of homework over the past few days, but I did it, and now I can write again!


	10. Chapter 10

_- Harin -_

I spent most of the next day refusing to speak to Yonghoon. I don’t feel bad about it. It wasn’t a harsh enough punishment for what he did. I think I’m just too soft to use anything harsher than the cold shoulder. Talking to Lydia was awkward too, although she still called me Rinnie at the concert. She knew I knew.

I talked to Yonghoon during the concert, for the sake of the fans. Our fans get nervous if they think they didn’t see enough skinship during a live broadcast. I couldn’t imagine how they would feel if I ignored my hyung all night. And anyway, I still loved him. I was just taking a break from caring so much.

As I was carrying pieces of my kit back to the van that night, I heard a voice behind me coo, “Rinnie!” I stopped in my tracks, turning around to face my newfound company. It was Hyungu, lugging his combo amp.

“Don’t call me that,” I sighed, continuing on my way to the van. I loaded my gear and helped Hyungu slide his amp in.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I said. I started walking back towards the venue for the last few pieces of my drum kit. 

“Would you tell me if you weren’t fine?” Hyungu persisted.

“Yes,” I replied, eyes straight ahead.

“Promise?”

“I promise!” I let out another long sigh. “Are you going to help me with my kit?”

“That was my plan,” he said. “What’s left?”

“Bass and a floor tom,” I said. 

We went back inside through the wide-open emergency exit the staff had opened up for us. It made loading and unloading a lot easier than if we had tried to drag everything in through the front doors. I glared daggers at Yonghoon as we passed. He looked like he wanted to cry. Yonghoon likes to say he never cries. He is lying every time. Don’t believe him. The only person who has seen him cry more than those of us in ONEWE is his mother. And I’m talking about big, loud, heavy sobs. Real man tears.

I picked up my bass drum. Hyungu grabbed the tom. “I wish I had stopped him on his way out the door today,” he lamented. 

“You should have,” I said. “I might still be friends with him if you did. As it stands, I’m not sure I want to be friends with you either.”

“Hyung!” Hyungu cried. “You’re my best friend. Don’t be an asshole.”

“How do I trust anybody when you’re all lying to me?” I heaved my bass drum into the van. “Are MyeongWook just pretending to be engaged because I think they’re cute together?”

“Okay, see, now you’re just being weird.” Hyungu shut the rear of the van. “You know those two are almost disturbingly obsessed with each other.” We went back inside one more time for hi-touch. “Put on a happy face, hyung. Here come the fans.”

I had snapped three sticks in half that night, which meant I had five to give away. It probably also meant that drumming is a coping mechanism for me when I’m upset, but I don’t really feel like psychoanalyzing myself right now. By the time hi-touch was over, I had one left. It had splintered down the middle without breaking completely in half, so that it looked bent. I flagged Lydia down. “Noona, do you want this?” I held out the crooked stick. “It’s broken, so… You see, I don’t throw them away when they break at concerts. I give them to people.” She took it and very closely studied the fracture in the center. 

“Cool,” she said. “There’s something so weirdly artistic about a broken drumstick.”

“You don’t have to keep it if you don’t want to,” I added quickly. “Go chase down one of the fans and give it to them if you want.”

“Why would I do that?” she laughed. “You gave it to me, Rinnie.”

“Yonghoon-hyung said you like me?” It came out as more of a question than a statement, and I don’t even know why I said it. Lydia smiled softly and reached up to touch my cheek.

“Yeah, I do,” she said. “You’re charming. But I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” She chuckled a little, withdrawing her hand. “I kind of wish you guys could share.”

“I… eh?” I lowered my voice. “Would you be  _ okay  _ with that?”

“Okay with it?” she repeated. “I think I’d have a lot of fun. Talk it over with oppa.” And then she winked at me. 

That conversation felt so completely unreal, but I knew it had happened because Lydia kept winking when she caught my eye, giving me these knowing smiles. But would that actually be a good compromise? Sharing? Never in my life had I shared a girlfriend on purpose. This might just be me, but it sounded like a really bad idea. Like something that would just make me jealous because I’d always feel like I was competing with the other boyfriend. But with close friends, maybe it could work? Perhaps I’d bring it up to Yonghoon when I decided we were friends again.

I had claimed the pull-out mattress in this suite, forcing Yonghoon and Hyungu to share a bed that night. Once I was clean, with well-scrubbed teeth and damp hair, I settled in under the blanket for the night. The bed was a little lumpy, but I guess that’s to be expected from something that spends most of its time folded into thirds and tucked inside a sofa. Since I was warm, freshly showered, and wearing my jammies, I felt comfortable enough. I turned onto my side, wiggling into a position I hoped would stop the mattress from digging into the pressure point on my hip, and closed my eyes. 

The door of Hyungu and Yonghoon’s room opened. I nuzzled deeper into the blanket, trying to ignore it, thinking one of them had to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. Instead, the lamp beside the sofa clicked on, bleeding light through my eyelids. I cracked my left eye open and saw Yonghoon. He stood beside my bed for the night with his Switch in his hands. “Harin-ah,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I can’t sleep. Can you show me how to get Pikachu?” I sighed and scooted over, then patted the space next to me. Yonghoon lay down on top of the blanket and showed me his screen. “It sounded like so much fun when you guys were playing, and then I realized I was the only one of us  _ not  _ playing, so I bought it. I want to play with you guys. So how do I get Pikachu?”

Some days, I wonder if Yonghoon is our real maknae. It’s one of his most endearing character traits. I patiently explained how to get the special Pikachu the rest of us had. Once he had it, Yonghoon stayed next to me for about an hour, just playing his game. I was dozing off, so tired that even the lamplight, which would normally keep me awake, had no effect on me. “Hyung,” I whispered, gently poking Yonghoon in the ribs. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh, right!” Yonghoon popped up and swung his legs over the side of the mattress, planting his feet on the floor. “I should let you do that. I forget sometimes that you need it pitch dark. I’m sorry. Harin-ah…” He turned around and looked at me sadly. “I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. For everything.”

“Noona has an idea,” I said. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it in the morning. Please turn the light off so I can sleep.”

I woke the next morning when I heard a thud in one of the bedrooms. It was followed by a long whine, and then Yonghoon emerged, rubbing his hip. I knew instantly what had happened, and that was why nobody cuddled Hyungu in his sleep. “He pushed me,” Yonghoon said, pointing at the dark bedroom behind him. I couldn’t fight back the laughter. “Stop laughing! That really hurt!”

“Sorry, old man,” I giggled. “Is your hip broken?”

“You’re funny,” he said, coming over to sit at the edge of my bed. “Can I bug you?”

“You’re quite good at it, yes,” I replied.

“What you said about Leelee last night,” he began. “What’s her idea? I’m itching to know. I don’t think I fell asleep until like, an hour ago.”

“Oh, you think you deserve to know?” I sat up, tucking my legs into a criss-cross position and gathering the blanket around my waist so I’d have a place to rest my arms. “I don’t know if she was really serious about it, hyung.”

“Serious about  _ what _ ? Harin-ah, just tell me!” Yonghoon flopped backward into the space my legs used to occupy and stared up at me. “You have a booger in your nose.”

“Then stop looking in my nose!” I put my hand over his face and watched him strain to reach my skin with his tongue. “I’ll tell you.” I removed my hand and Yonghoon turned onto his side, resting on his elbow, watching me intently. “She suggested… sharing.”

“What exactly the fuck does that mean?” Yonghoon asked.

I lowered my voice. “You know…” I hesitated. “Like, we would both be with her.”

“Could you do that without getting jealous?” Yonghoon asked, his eyes growing wide.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Could you?”

“I think I could.” He laid his head down in my lap. “I expect it’s easier when it’s something all parties have agreed on. And it probably helps to be friends, right?” Yonghoon snuggled in even closer. “Am I your friend again?”

I sighed and absently stroked his hair. “Yeah, I guess you’ve suffered enough,” I grumbled. “You’re lucky I’m such a softy.”

“The luckiest!” He tilted his head and kissed my palm. I recoiled and he nearly shrieked with laughter. 

“Yah!” I lightly smacked his shoulder. “Pabo.”

“I’m not a pabo,” Yonghoon protested. “You’re a pabo.” He sat up and sighed. “I missed you.”

“Shut up and pack your shit,” I laughed. “We’re flying to Chicago next, aren’t we?”

“Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto, New York City,” Yonghoon listed. “It’s two nights in New York because of ONEUS, then we’re on to the United Kingdom.”

ONEUS were starting their tour soon too, but they were starting in New York and ending in California. We were joining them for one of their shows. “Awesome,” I said. “I can’t wait to see those idiots again.” I meant that in the most affectionate way possible, of course.

Yonghoon helped me fold up the pull-out, and once everyone was packed, we left the suite together. We caught up to Lydia in the hallway and I greeted her with a light touch to the middle of her back. 

“Good morning, guys!” she sang, playfully pinching my side and making me giggle. “I’m glad you’re smiling.”

“Me too,” I agreed.

“Are we going out for breakfast?” Dongmyeong asked. He had both arms wrapped tightly around Giwook’s bicep. “I’m hungry.”

“You guys are always hungry,” Lydia laughed. “I swear, you never stop eating.”

“We need the energy,” Hyungu said as he came up along Lydia’s other side. “I need strength to push people like Yonghoon out of bed when they try to cuddle with me.”

“I bet you’re a lot of fun at sleepovers,” Lydia said sarcastically. “You shove your girlfriend out of bed too?”

Hyungu’s expression dropped. “No,” he muttered. He was quiet all the way to the airport, just messing with his phone. 

We all sat in the waiting area of the airport. It would still be a couple of hours before our flight boarded. I leaned into Lydia. “Hey, noona.” I nudged her shoulder for attention. She looked up at me with big hazel eyes. “When you get a moment, Yonghoon and I want to talk to you. Alone.”

"Sure, Rinnie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Woohoo! My plan is falling into place!  
> 2\. Woohoo! Double digits!  
> 3\. Woohoo! I love all of you!


	11. Chapter 11

@_KangHyun

I sent a text to Amanda to let her know my feet were safely on the ground in Chicago. I didn’t expect a response. I hadn’t heard from her since I was in Dallas, so that was a few days of no replies. She was leaving me on read. I would have been concerned for her safety if I wasn’t also stalking her Instagram. She was safe and healthy, still posting pictures of her lunch and taking selcas while she studied. So… was it something I said? I threw in another text, asking her if she was okay, then leaned back in my seat in the van. 

I didn’t relax for very long before I picked up my phone again to check KakaoTalk. She had read my messages and apparently ignored me again. Did I do something wrong? I sent another message to ask her that.

“You look sick,” Yonghoon commented. He reached over, brushing his knuckles against my cheek. “You don’t feel warm. Are you okay?”

“Just worried,” I mumbled. Lydia passed me a pouch of fruit snacks. I think we had an unlimited supply. I looked at the pouch and decided I couldn’t eat snacks at that time. I dropped it in my lap and continued staring at my phone screen.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Yonghoon asked.

“It’s Amanda,” I said. “I haven’t heard from her in days. She just leaves me on read. But she’s still posting on SNS, so I don’t know why she’s not talking to me. I’m her boyfriend, aren’t I?”

“Oh no,” Dongmyeong groaned behind me. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my neck. “I think I know what’s happening, and I feel so sorry for you if I’m right. Hyung, what’s she posting on SNS? Who is in the photos?”

I pulled up her Instagram profile and showed him. “Just food,” I said. “And some pictures of herself.”

“Those are really closely cropped selcas,” Giwook observed.

“Oh yeah,” Dongmyeong agreed. He took my phone and scrolled through Amanda’s profile. “Hmm… I don’t like this. Look at the difference here, jagiya.” He showed the screen to Giwook. “Look at her posts from before we left Korea. Even the ones while we were in California are pretty normal. Just pictures of herself and her friends, cool stuff she found in Seoul… Here's a beach photo from a trip to Busan. But look at this. That’s from our second day in Dallas.”

“Totally different,” Giwook marveled. “There’s a guy there with her. I’ll bet money on that.”

“No,” I said. Dongmyeong handed my phone back and I snatched it out of his hand. “She would never. Amanda loves me.”

“Show me her messages,” he said.

“Messages are private,” I argued. All the same, I opened KakaoTalk again and scrolled back a few days before handing my phone over once again.

“Wow,” Dongmyeong said, scrolling back even further. “You guys used to talk constantly and at great length. And then, in Dallas, she started being short with you. Look at that.”

“She was tired,” I defended.

“Tired from riding someone else’s dick, maybe,” he shot back. It felt like my stomach dropped. I couldn’t let Dongmyeong make me doubt everything I had built with Amanda. “Oh, hey! Whoa!” Dongmyeong thrust my phone between the seats and shook it at me. “Take it back, now! That was  _ way  _ more of Amanda than I ever needed to see! Your dick pic was okay though. Better lighting would have helped.”

“You didn’t have to go that far back!” I shrieked, face undoubtedly flushing the same shade as a strawberry.

“I was investigating,” he said matter-of-factly. “In my expert opinion as someone who’s been cheated on by an ex, you’re fucked, hyung.”

“I’m not fucked!” I exclaimed. “She’s not cheating! Stop saying that!”

“Start a video call with her tonight,” he shrugged. “If you really want to find out, that will probably tell you. She might not pick up at all, which means she’s probably with your replacement. If she answers, her body language and facial expressions, even the tone she uses to speak to you, might be different than you remember. And maybe she’ll be as dumb as Jinseo was and show you the naked ass of the man she’s sleeping with while you’re gone.”

“Getting fucked over by Jinseo doesn’t make you an expert on cheating,” I pointed out.

“Doesn’t it?” Dongmyeong leaned against Giwook and sighed. “Thanks to him, I’m also an expert in being hit and forced to have sex, and having my fiancé punched in the face by my ex. I’ve had a hell of a life over the past two decades, hyung.”

“You sound like the wise old man in the bar, right before he steps out for a cigarette,” I joked. “Except it’s a gay bar and you don’t smoke.”

Dongmyeong snorted. “If I’m right, and I desperately hope I’m not, you’re welcome to cry to me,” he said. “As I said, I’ve been through it.”

The van pulled up in front of the hotel and we disembarked. I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders and dragged my rolling luggage along behind me. We weren’t booked for a suite this time around. We were back to the setup we had in California, where MyeongWook had a room to themselves and I shared with Yonghoon and Harin. I was kind of thankful for that. Nobody had to sleep on a pull-out sofa mattress, nor did we have to listen to the couple getting up to mischief late at night. I would miss having a proper kitchenette though, even if we hardly used it. It just made me feel less homesick somehow. 

I checked KakaoTalk again. Intellectually, I knew I didn’t have to check it over and over. I would get a notification if I had a message. I still looked, hoping against all hope that Amanda would text me back, saying she was swamped with homework and she was sorry and she loved me. I just wanted to hear that she loved me. After Dongmyeong did his thing in the van, I was having serious doubts about my future with her and it scared me.

As I put my phone away again, I got the long buzz of a Kakao message. I opened the app faster than I think I ever had before. It was Amanda. All she said was, “Sorry.”

I sat down on one of the beds in the hotel room and took a few deep breaths.  _ Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like,  _ I begged. I didn’t know if I was begging the universe or any god who would listen. My heart was racing and I was afraid of having it broken. I wanted to live in denial for the rest of my life, but I knew I’d have to speak to her in a video call, probably later that night. 

Harin tackled me to the bed and squeezed me. “You look like you’re not okay, Hyungu-yah,” he whispered in my ear. I could feel the pain swelling up inside me, constricting my throat, so I bit my lip and swallowed hard. I showed him Amanda’s message on my phone. “Oh. That’s not a good sign.” I nodded. He squeezed me harder. “If things get rough tonight, you know we’re all here.”

“Nothing will get rough,” I insisted. “Everything is fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

We decided to spring for real Chicago deep dish pizza for dinner that night. It was heavy and greasy, but absolutely delicious. It was the first time I had ever had to eat pizza with a knife and fork. The whole thing was like a cake made of pizza. I don’t even know how to describe it. It was loaded with cheese and sauce, pepperoni, sausage, more cheese, bacon, more pepperoni, still  _ more  _ cheese. I thought I would go into a food coma when we were finished. I had two or three pints of beer at the pizzeria as well. I… may have lost count of the actual number of pints. I think it was two. It was just enough to somewhat forget my troubles and have a good time at dinner with my friends. And I was still feeling a little giddy when we got back to the hotel and I whipped out my phone for a video call.

“Hyungu-yah,” Yonghoon said, drawing my attention from the screen. “Harin-ah and I are going to visit Leelee. We have something to discuss with her. If you need anything, text one of us.”

“You guys are so worried!” I laughed. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Go have fun.”

They left the room just as I opened KakaoTalk. I selected Amanda’s contact and started a video call with her.

Amanda answered, still in her pajamas, a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. “Hey, babe!” I said with a grin and a wave.

“You won’t be smiling when you hear what I have to tell you,” she said. She sighed. “Hyungu, I’m really sorry. I fucked up pretty hard.”

My heart seemed to pause in its beating. “N-no,” I stammered. “You didn’t… you couldn’t…”

“I did,” she confirmed. “It’s not your fault. I… I can’t be alone. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“What’s his name?” I asked.

“ _ Her  _ name is Hyunji.” Amanda ran her finger around the rim of her coffee mug. “I’d still like to be with you when you come back. Maybe you and Hyunji will hit it off and-”

“No,” I interrupted, switching to Korean. “You don’t get to just do that. You can’t go behind my back while I’m on the other side of the world and then tell me I should get along with the woman who took my place. I… I won’t stand for that.”

“You’re going to have to slow down or speak English for me, baby.”

“Do not call me baby anymore!” I spat in English. “I am not going to come home and pretend it’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry, Hyungu,” Amanda said softly. “I miss you.”

“You miss me so much, you replaced me with some girl with the same first syllable.” I scoffed and looked away from the screen. “You can delete my contact.”

“Hyungu-”

I hung up and tossed my phone down on the mattress. I’d love to tell you I was too angry to cry, but when my next inhale came in the form of a shaky gasp and I felt the pain in my chest, I started to sob. I was quiet at first, and then the pained whining started. I checked my pockets for the keycard to the room, and then ventured into the hallway.

I rapped my knuckles on the door to MyeongWook’s room. Giwook answered, peeking cautiously around the door. He looked at my face and his eyes grew wide. “One second,” he said, turning around. “Myeong-ah, put it away! We have company and he’s not looking too great.” A moment later, Giwook flung the door open wide and dragged me inside.

“Oh, hyung,” Dongmyeong whispered when he saw me. He stood up from the bed and pulled me into a hug. 

“I think I hate women,” I sobbed into his shoulder.

Dongmyeong hushed me, rubbing my back. “Cry it all out first. Then we can talk.”

“I’m crying all over your shirt,” I whimpered.

“That’s okay,” Dongmyeong chuckled. “Tears dry. It’s okay. Just go. Go until you run dry.”

I cried until I couldn’t breathe, and then I cried until I could again. Dongmyeong was right. Eventually, it was like I had no tears left. “She cheated on me with a girl,” I mumbled.

“Oof,” Giwook said. 

“I guess we were wrong then,” Dongmyeong said. “We were thinking there was another guy.”

“I’m not sure if I feel better or worse,” I said. 

“You can feel the same too,” Dongmyeong whispered. “It’s okay if you’re not fine.”

I pulled away and sniffled hard. “I guess I’m single, huh?”

“Does that make the fact I saw your dick pic less uncomfortable?”

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY! Poor Hyungu. Off to cry now.


	12. Chapter 12

*용훈*

Harin and I didn’t know Hyungu was in pain and going through a breakup. Our uselessness was our own fault. We were busy following our dicks to Leelee’s hotel room. When Harin knocked, she let us both inside and sat down on her bed, shutting off the television to give us her full attention.

“Were you serious?” Harin blurted immediately.

“About sharing?” she asked in her laughter-like voice. There was a certain twinkle in her hazel eyes that I only ever noticed when Harin was around her. Maybe she really did have a thing for him. “I was completely serious if you guys are into it. If not… well…” Leelee trailed off, tracing the pattern of the bedspread with her finger. I sat on the bed, purposely keeping my distance from her. I had a feeling I knew who she would rather have. 

“What do we do?” I asked.

Leelee tipped over onto her back and tugged at my shirt until I leaned down, hovering my mouth above hers. “This is a good place to start,” she whispered. I pressed my lips to hers in what I like to call a Spider-Man Kiss. Because of our positions on the bed, she was upside-down for me, just like the first Toby Maguire Spider-Man movie. 

Harin cleared his throat as he approached us. He tapped me on the shoulder. “My turn,” he growled. I pulled away and sat up just as Harin knelt down next to Leelee on the bed. She reached for him and he stroked her cheek, staring at her like she was the universe before dipping down and placing a shy kiss on her lips. They looked good together, I had to admit. She pulled him closer and he grew bolder, adding pressure. And I thought I saw him slip Leelee some tongue. She giggled into the kiss and Harin drew back. “I’m fun, huh?” he whispered.

“I already knew that,” she said, twinkling at him again. “Remember California?”

“I will  _ always _ remember California.” 

“I… I feel like I’m intruding on something private,” I chuckled. I felt awkward watching them dance around a love confession. And I realized there was a big difference between my feelings and Harin’s. I found her charming and sexy. But Harin? He looked at her like a little boy with a big crush. I half expected him to pull out a fistful of haphazardly plucked dandelions and offer them as a token of his affection. I stood up and crossed to the door. “I thought I was interested in sharing, but this-” I pointed between the two of them, “-looks like a much better idea. I won’t tell anyone you’re in here alone together.”

“Hyung?” Harin called softly. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Are you serious? After all these days at each other’s throats, you want to just give in like this?”

“Yeah. You have my blessing. Not that you need it.” I winked.

“Can I call you if I want a threesome?” Leelee asked. I blushed and nodded before I stepped into the hallway, closing the door gently behind me.  _ I  _ was following my dick to her hotel room. Harin was following his heart. God, that was cheesy.

I was still a little jealous, but I was sure I’d get over it. They looked kind of made for each other.

I bumped into Manager Hansoo almost immediately after I left Leelee’s room. I apologized for knocking into him. “What were you doing in there?” he asked. “That’s not your room.”

“I was… Leelee forgot something in the van and I was taking it to her,” I explained in a rush of syllables. “I’m going back to my own room now. I think I’ll round up the boys for a walk through the city tomorrow.”

“And your bandmates are all accounted for, then?”

“As far as I know, I’m the only one who’s left a hotel room,” I lied. It was hard to maintain eye contact under Manager Hansoo’s scrutinizing gaze. “Can I go?”

Without another word, Manager Hansoo pushed past me and continued on his way down the hall. I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to my room. My  _ empty  _ room. Where had Hyungu gone? He hadn’t been kidnapped; his phone was gone too. I didn’t text him to ask for his location. I texted Giwook instead. He confirmed that he and Dongmyeong had our guitarist in their room. He said Hyungu was crying a river. I was baffled. Why would he be crying?

I ventured down to MyeongWook’s room to find Hyungu. Giwook answered when I knocked. “Yeah, okay,” he said with a shrug. “I guess we might as well just have  _ everyone  _ in here.” He stepped back to let me in before shutting the door quietly. “Let me catch you up. Amanda-noona cheated on Hyungu-hyung with a woman and he thinks he broke things off with her but he’s not sure because he didn’t let her finish her thought when they were video chatting. Now he’s all heartbroken and floppy and he stole my fiancé.”

“He didn’t steal me,” Dongmyeong protested from the bed. He and Hyungu were on top of the covers, Hyungu red-eyed and sniffling against Dongmyeong’s shoulder. “I just… kind of know the feeling.” He stroked Hyungu’s hair. “It really hurts.”

“Fine, he stole my fiancé’s attention,” Giwook amended. “Better?” Giwook joined the cuddle puddle on the bed and I realized he was probably part of it before I showed up too. 

“Just you?” Hyungu croaked as I took a seat on the bed next to Dongmyeong. 

“Just me,” I confirmed. “I left Harin-ah with Leelee. They’re… they seem good for each other.” I reached over to touch Hyungu’s cheek, which was blazing hot from being upset. “I’m sorry we weren’t in the room for you.”

“Hyung, was I wrong to love her like I did? Like I do?” Hyungu asked, ignoring my apology. “I want to call her back and try to work it out. Is that completely fucking stupid? Am I the biggest pabo on the planet? I was suspicious but I tried to ignore it. And now that I know the truth, I want to forgive her and take her back. Tell me how stupid I am.”

“You’re not, Gu-yah,” I said. “Give it time. Maybe your thoughts on that will change when your feelings are done with their rampage. You’re… emotionally compromised. You’re not thinking straight.” Hyungu took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. “Can I take you back to our room now? We should go to bed. I’m sure you’re ready to fall asleep after all this crying. And I’m thinking MyeongWook would like their privacy back?” I glanced at the couple. Dongmyeong shrugged and Giwook gave an almost apologetic smile. “Come on. Bedtime for Hyungu-yah.” I stood up and held out my hand. “I won’t leave you the rest of the night. Promise.”

Hyungu got up from the bed, whispering a sheepish thanks, and took my hand. I walked him back to our hotel room and made him brush his teeth and wash his face. “I’m miserable,” he complained through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“I know,” I said, leaning against the wall nearby. “Doesn’t mean you get to give up on yourself. It’s just like when you get sick or hurt. Showers help, right? Taking care of yourself makes you feel better?” He nodded. “So I want you to feel a little better at least.”

Hyungu spat the toothpaste into the sink and rinsed his toothbrush. “I don’t feel better yet,” he whimpered as he measured out a length of floss. 

“You’ll be okay,” I said. “Amanda is one girl. Do you know how many white girls there are in the world?” Hyungu shook his head. The floss made a weird popping noise as he pulled it out from between his tight teeth. “Frankly, I don’t think either one of us needs one. Harin-ah can have them.” Hyungu snorted. “I don’t know if we’ll see him until morning, to be honest with you.” Hyungu’s eyes found mine in the mirror. “Oh yeah,” I nodded. “They were getting along  _ really  _ well.”

Hyungu discarded his floss in the trash and took a swig of mouthwash. After spitting that out, he turned around to face me. “So it might just be the two of us tonight?” he asked.

“Which means you’ll get to sleep alone,” I said.

“What if I don’t want to?” Hyungu dug his cleanser out of his bag and set it on the bathroom counter. “I mean, yeah, you’re an actual fucking octopus. And yeah, I usually hate it. But I’m not sure I want to be left all alone tonight. I feel like one big bruise.” He started lathering his face with foaming cleanser. “We could watch TV or something. I won’t be able to sleep unless I take my mind off Amanda.” He rinsed off and followed me to the beds. 

I peeled back the covers of the one near the window, knowing how much Hyungu prefers the window bed, as he turned on the TV and started flipping channels. “I’m not going to be able to follow much,” I said. “Everything in the USA is in English or Spanish.”

“Your English is improving, hyung.” Hyungu set the remote on the bedside table and tucked himself under the blankets, leaning against the headboard of the bed. “You might understand more than you expect to.”

I did my own nightly routine before joining Hyungu in bed. He had found a cooking competition and was completely engrossed. “What are we watching, my little brother?” I asked, making myself comfortable beside him. 

“Chopped, I guess,” Hyungu replied, eyes glued to the screen. “It just started. They’re still in the first round.”

“Can you imagine the twins being judges on a cooking show?” I pondered. “Dongju-yah would eat everything in sight. Dongmyeong-ah would eliminate competitors for using sesame.”

“And they would fight with each other the whole time,” Hyungu laughed. He scooted closer to me and rested his head on my shoulder. “Thanks for this, hyung.”

“D-don’t mention it,” I said, a little taken aback by his affection. “Will you be okay to perform tomorrow night?”

“Of course. I’m a guitar god, remember?” Hyungu nudged me with his elbow. “KangHyun is a separate person, and he’s doing just fine. Even if I’m not.” My heart ached a little and I wrapped both arms around my guitarist, squeezing him close. “Goddamned octopus,” he mumbled, but he didn’t try to get away from me this time. He sighed. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Predictions? Suspicions?


	13. Chapter 13

_- Harin -_

I was startled awake at two in the morning when my watch vibrated on my wrist. It was exactly the time I had set it for. I gently nudged Lydia’s sleeping form next to me in the bed. She turned over on her back and looked at me in the dark hotel room. “I didn’t want you to just wake up and wonder where I went,” I whispered. “I really have to go. If I stay all night, Manager Hansoo might find out.” Lydia wrapped her hand around the back of my neck and pulled me down for another breathtaking kiss, just like the one that had got us into this position in the first place. I mean, who would have expected a tongue ring to make such a difference? I pulled back and brushed her hair off her forehead. “Sorry. I need to go back to my room now.” I turned on the lamp by the bed to its dimmest setting so I wouldn’t blind Lydia while I gathered my clothes and got dressed. She shivered and pulled the blankets up to her neck, watching me with wide eyes. “I’ll sneak out for you tomorrow night,” I promised as I fastened my belt buckle. I pulled my shirt on and walked around to her side of the bed, bending over to plant one more kiss on her cheek. “Sleep tight.”

“Goodnight, Rinnie,” she muttered as I turned towards the door. She waited until my shoes were on, then turned off the lamp as I left the room.

I was exhausted and my arms were sore from holding myself up for twenty minutes straight, but I felt a wide grin spread across my face as I walked back to the hotel room I shared with Hyungu and Yonghoon. They were cuddled together in the same bed, illuminated by the light from the television screen. Hyungu was awake. Yonghoon had passed out with his arms wrapped tightly around Hyungu’s waist. “Welcome back,” Hyungu whispered when I shut the door.

“Thanks,” I whispered back. “Are you guys pulling a MyeongWook on me?”

Hyungu smirked. “No,” he said. “I just… Dongmyeong was right. Yonghoon-hyung is comforting me. Or, he was. Now he’s just sleeping.” I chuckled quietly. Hyungu’s voice adopted a teasing tone as he asked, “How’s noona?”

A deep blush crept across my cheeks. “She’s great,” I said. “I’m really sorry to hear about Amanda though. Is there anything I can do? I can’t believe I wasn’t here for you.”

“It’s okay,” Hyungu insisted. “Just be sensitive with me for a while. I get that you’re all puppy love and sparkles with noona now, but my wounds are fresh, you know?”

“Puppy love? Not so much.” I cleared my throat. “Is it weird to take a shower this late?”

“Not if you’ve been out getting your dick wet. Congratulations!” I gave him the finger. “Hey, hey, be nice. Why didn’t you just stay with her all night?”

I peeled my shirt off and turned on the bathroom light. “Too risky,” I explained. “I don’t want to do that with our minders in the same stretch of hallway.”

“Makes sense. Enjoy your shower. If I’m asleep when you come out, don’t wake me.” He sniffled and a couple of tears ran down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly. “Don’t worry about this. I’ve been crying off and on all night. I’ll tell you everything you want to know tomorrow, assuming you want to know anything.”

“I want the whole story,” I insisted. “Goodnight, Hyungu-yah.”

The water pressure in the shower was too weak to do much good for my sore muscles. I guess the heat helped a little though. By the time I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, I felt a little fresher. I’d had it in my head that I reeked of sex, but that feeling washed down the drain with the bubbles from my bodywash. I quickly ran my fingers through my damp hair before leaving the bathroom. Ah, the benefits of keeping extremely short hair. Sure, I get my hair cut twice as often as my bandmates, but it’s all worth it to look clean and sharp without picking up a comb. 

The TV was off, which meant Hyungu and Yonghoon were both asleep. After I brushed my teeth, I threw on my pajamas and passed out in the vacant bed.

I woke with Yonghoon straddling me, already dressed to go out and explore. His hands were on my shoulders and he was slowly rocking me from side to side. “This is the weirdest way anyone has ever woken me up,” I mumbled, eyes barely open. “Hyung, I’m so tired.”

“Whose fault is that?” Yonghoon scolded. “Not  _ my  _ fault. Your fault? Leelee’s fault? Maybe a little bit of both?” I couldn’t suppress the smile that crept across my face. “We have to go out and wander. We’re in Chicago! It’s like a really cool, important city! Plus, I want to keep Hyungu-yah from going insane over Amanda. I think we should walk him.”

“You’re talking about him like he’s a puppy,” I laughed. “Get off me. I’ll get dressed. But you owe me coffee. Iced Americano. Large. Black. And in my hand within a block of this hotel.”

“Fine,” Yonghoon sighed, bringing his face close to my neck. He nuzzled into me and kissed my collarbone and I cringed, unable to escape. “Don’t be too long. We’ll be in the lobby. I’m going to get MyeongWook.”

“What? Like, you’re going to knock on their door in the morning?” I asked in disbelief. “Hyung, you are a braver man than I.”

“I’ll be keeping my eyes covered,” he said, climbing off me and almost slipping off the bed in the process. He latched onto my shoulders tightly for a few seconds and laughed nervously. “Whoa. Okay.  _ Now  _ I’m going.”

“Pabo,” I grumbled as I sat up. “Hey, what’s the weather like outside?”

“Really overcast,” Yonghoon replied as he tied his shoes. “Warm though. Manager Hansoo says it will probably rain.” With that forecast, I knew exactly what I wanted to wear. “Hurry up! No hustle, no coffee.”

I groaned and got out of bed. It was then that I noticed Hyungu still sitting on the bed he’d shared with Yonghoon the night before. His eyes were downcast, but there was the ghost of a smile on his lips. “He won’t be needing any coffee,” he commented quietly, finally lifting his gaze to me. His eyes still looked puffy from crying. Poor guy. And he was so good-looking when he wasn’t heartbroken. 

I’ve always had a bit of a complex about my dark skin. Hyungu’s always been a little paler than me, but still with a beautiful warm complexion. And I secretly always envied those heart-shaped lips and enormous half-moon eyes. I always thought I’d only make it as an idol or a rock star if I grew up to be almost as handsome as my friend Hyungu. I still think I’m the visual black hole of ONEWE. 

“Gu-yah, do me a favor,” I said, digging through my luggage for my hooded muscle shirt. My guitarist tipped his head, waiting for me to continue. “Tell me what happened with Amanda.”

Hyungu took a deep breath and started the story. He shed a few tears when he talked about breaking up with her. “I guess I’m pretty cuddly when I’m hurt,” he concluded, wiping away his tears with his palms. “I wasn’t even bothered last night. Actually, it was pretty comfortable, sleeping with Yonghoon-hyung.”

“That’s good,” I said. I hit myself with a short burst of body spray before wrestling my way into my shirt. I flipped the hood down and tousled my hair. “Even you need a good cuddle once in a while, huh?”

“I guess,” Hyungu shrugged. Was he blushing, or was he just red from crying again?

I slipped my shoes on and threw an arm around Hyungu’s shoulders, ushering him out the door and down to the lobby.

Lydia and Seungjin accompanied us on our walk. He and Manager Hansoo said Chicago was a dangerous city. For all we knew, they were completely right. After all, civilians can own guns in the USA. It’s not just soldiers there. It could be anybody. And according to Lydia, guns were less strictly regulated than cars in her country. I wasn’t sure if she was exaggerating, but I couldn’t imagine it being true. That was just too scary.

So Seungjin was there as our bodyguard, and Lydia was on-duty as our interpreter. It was impossible to keep my eyes off her, even on an overcast day. She just had that glow. We kept stealing glances and trading shy smiles, pretending like the previous night never happened at all. 

True to his word, Yonghoon paid for my cup of coffee. Lydia hovered over him while he interacted with the cashier in the coffee shop, ready to jump in if he needed her English skills. I loved Lydia as an interpreter because her mind was impeccably sharp. But she had a habit of acting like a mother hen. None of us needed help to order coffee in English. We also didn’t need anyone’s help to ask where the men’s room was, or to order fast food. 

When we left the coffee shop and Lydia occupied a spot next to me while we walked, I had to control the urge to take her hand and lace my fingers with hers. I wouldn’t survive a scandal, and that’s only assuming I survived the wrath of Manager Hansoo first. I couldn’t let on that there was anything between us.

We stayed within two kilometers of the hotel. It’s not that there was nothing to see outside that radius. We just had a schedule to keep. But we were able to do a little souvenir shopping. It was one thing to buy an MJS baseball cap in Korea with an American city name embroidered on it. It was another thing entirely to throw an unnecessary amount of money into buying real, actual White Sox merchandise in the city of Chicago itself. Lydia turned her nose up at me when I picked out a Sox cap. “I’m a Twins fan,” she explained. “It’s like a requirement in my family. We hate the Sox.”

“It’s still baseball,” I argued. “I like baseball no matter who’s playing.”

“You look like you like baseball,” she said, giving my shoulder a flirty squeeze. “You are not wearing that shit in my home state though. Somebody will knock you out.” I laughed. “You have a nice laugh, Rinnie. Add that to the list of things I like about you.”

“How many items are already on that list?” I asked.

“I lost count,” she giggled.

Our venue that night was a small basement nightclub. It reminded me of the first place I ever legally got drunk. Big, but with exceptionally low ceilings. The floor and ceiling were black while the walls were dark blue with a sheer metallic gold wash. It gave the effect of distant flickering stars when the stage lights were on. Pretty cool decor idea, if you ask me. 

Dongmyeong spent half an hour or so teaching Lydia to do her makeup the way he did it for her. He reasoned that it would save him time in the long run. An extra half hour that night would mean he could focus on his own appearance for the rest of the tour. I watched him hold her still with his fingers on her chin, tapping peachy cream blush on her cheekbones. They were talking in hushed tones. My first instinct was that they were talking about how to do Lydia’s makeup properly, but I overheard Dongmyeong mentioning my name. Ah, so he was asking about us. She rolled her eyes and leaned in close, whispering something to him. Dongmyeong’s jaw dropped and he let out a tiny squeal before blurting, “Oh my  _ God,  _ good for you!” at the top of his lungs in English. He covered his mouth. Giwook looked at him questioningly, and Dongmyeong waved him off, lowered his voice, and resumed gossiping with Lydia. He tapped his finger on her nose, and this time I heard him explaining why he was putting blush on the tip of her nose. It was youthful and cute, he’d said. Plus, it’s not a hangover look without nose blush.

After her makeup lesson, I cornered Lydia by the bathrooms backstage. I wrapped my arms around her waist, settling my hands in the curve of her lower back. She reached up, locking her own arms around my shoulders. “You look cute like a kitty,” I whispered as I leaned in for a kiss. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all day.” We kissed again and she bit my bottom lip. “Save that for later,” I growled. “I want to know what you and Dongmyeong were talking about. Why did he squeal like that?”

“We talked about you,” she whispered. Her eyes took on their mischievous glint and she smirked at me. “He squealed because I told him you made me come last night.”

She may as well have punched me in the gut for all the air that statement knocked out of my lungs. “Did I really?” I asked, feeling my chest swell a little with pride.

“Mm-hmm,” Lydia replied. Her hand slid down to my groin. “What else do you think that squeezing feeling was?”

“Oh, stop,” I breathed. I removed her hand from the front of my pants, which was slowly swelling and it was all her fault. “I have to focus during the concert. You can touch me all you want when we get back to the hotel.”

“Promise?” she teased, nipping at my lips again.

“I promise. You’re driving me crazy,” I hissed.

“Give them a good show, baby.” Lydia pulled away. “Wait a minute before you follow me back to the green room. Can’t have Hansoo getting suspicious, can we?”

You’re damn right I snuck into her room again that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, Harin. *fans self with hands*  
> Yup, Lydia is from Minnesota. I'm Minnesotan too. I write what I know, y'all.  
> On an unrelated note, I dyed my hair peach last night.


	14. Chapter 14

@_KangHyun

What kind of sad sack of garbage still stalks his ex-girlfriend’s Instagram after the breakup? Me. We were in the airport in Minnesota, waiting for Lydia’s friends to answer her texts. It was her home state, after all. We would have a few days off while we were there. I didn’t know why we were taking a break in Minneapolis instead of, say, Chicago or New York, except that Lydia knew her way around. The only thing I knew about Minnesota was the Mall of America, which, yes, I had always wanted to visit.

I sat in a small chair in the airport, scrolling through Amanda’s photos. She still wasn’t posting any of the girl she was dating. Hyun… min? Hyunjoo? I had already forgotten the name. I sighed, which puffed out my mask, which deflated and blew my own breath into my eyes, which made me blink rapidly. Yonghoon chuckled and reached over to ruffle my hair. “Why are you petting me?” I asked, still glued to my phone. “You know I’m not a dog.”

“Yeah, but you’re cute like one,” he said. I looked up to see his crinkled eyes sparkling at me and knew he was smiling wide behind his own mask. “Cheer up, Hyungu-yah. You’re not still looking at Amanda, are you?”

“Her photos are still really weird,” I said. I turned my phone so he could see the screen. “I haven’t even seen one of Hyun-something.”

“Maybe she lied to get rid of you.” Yonghoon shrugged. I whined involuntarily. “Yah, it’s not the end of the world. It’s one girl. Maybe this is the start of a brand new world for you.”

“I’m not going to get over this just because you cracked a couple jokes, hyung,” I grumbled.

Lydia strode confidently towards the rest of us. “I just got off the phone with Chloe,” she said. “Crazy fun break time is a go! My parents are giving us the keys to the cabins for four days.

“Cabins?” Manager Hansoo blurted. “What cabins?”

“They’re not  _ really _ cabins,” Lydia explained. “One is a weekend house and one is a guest house on the same property. They’re on Lake Washington. It’s a bit of a drive from here, but it’ll be a lot of fun! My college friends will drop by and we’ll have a barbecue and a bonfire. There’s a saltwater swimming pool between the main house and the guest house. And the lake is just down the hill. You could go out in the boat.”

“Is your family just fucking loaded?” I asked.

“Not loaded, per se,” she said, twisting her hair between her fingers. “Just not struggling. How’s that?”

“That all sounds like a good time,” Manager Hansoo said, to everyone’s great surprise. “As long as your parents are okay with our use of their property, we can all go to Lake Washington after the boys perform tonight.”

“Sweet!” Lydia exclaimed. She pumped both fists in the air. 

We all stood up to leave the airport and make our way to the venue we were playing that night. It was the same one ONEUS performed in on their last North American run. It was an antique theatre from the late 1800s that had been restored to the state it had been in around 1920. Lydia had been there for a few concerts and said it was gorgeous, but quite small. That was good news for the fans, she said, because there literally wasn’t a single bad seat in the house.

Our band name was on the old marquee out front. Our name was on a beautiful old marquee outside of a beautiful old theatre! On the outside, it was an unassuming old brick building. The front doors were modern, made of thick glass. Just inside were security gates that acted as metal detectors and slowed crowds down so everyone could be individually checked on their way in. It was probably the most secure place we had played yet in the USA.

The lobby held a 360° bar in the very center of it. There were two doors leading into the auditorium of the theatre, and our merch table was set up in between them. The venue provided merch staff for us. The promoter who booked us at that venue actually met us in the lobby to give us a tour, taking us all the way up into the balcony of the theatre. The walls bore intricately carved molding, decorated with gold leaf. “This place is stunning,” I breathed, surprised I could speak at all. I had fallen madly in love with the place. “This is like a palace.”

“Isn’t it beautiful?” the promoter said. He leaned against the railing of the balcony and gazed down at the stage. “Everything is up to code. The whole building was rewired about twenty years ago. It’s all as sturdy as a rock. Your brother group marveled at it when they came too. We were very pleased to have ONEUS here. They came just a couple of months after The Rose. You guys know The Rose? They’re Korean. They played a spectacular concert here. I haven’t heard such a loud audience since!”

I stared up at the ceiling, with its ornate mirror decorations and perfectly symmetrical geometric stained-glass skylight, and tried not to drool. “I think there’s a place like this in a book I read recently,” I said. The promoter turned his attention to me and waited for me to go on. “I can’t think of the title, but it was set in the early twentieth century. It was about traveling performers. I don’t know the word in English.”

“Like a vaudeville troupe,” the promoter said, nodding his head like he understood me perfectly. “In that time period, this theatre saw a great many vaudeville troupes. You guys are kind of similar. Traveling the world, sharing your talent with everyone you meet. I look forward to watching your concert tonight. That’s my favorite part of my job. I get to enjoy the shows I book.” He winked and led us back down the stairs. The handrail was so shiny, I was afraid to touch it. 

We were led into the green room, which was spacious enough for another band to join us. It made sense, as the theatre was frequently the site of plays and musicals with casts of more members than us. “You have a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water,” the promoter said. “There are a few sofas back here. We did a little research and picked up some popular Korean snacks from the Asian market on the other side of town, so that’s all there on the table for you guys. These two doors-” he gestured to a pair of doors, one on each end of the room “-lead directly to the stage. Thank you for coming all this way for us.” He bowed. “Kamsahamnida. Remember to just ask for John if you guys need anything, and I’ll be right there for you.” He backed out and closed the door behind him. 

I hadn’t been expecting such special treatment. Lydia assured us that was really just the way they do things in Minnesota.

We set up our instruments and ran through a sound check rehearsal. The stage there feels big when you’re on it, but it looks tiny from the audience perspective. Lydia stood in front of the stage, in the area reserved for the pit orchestra of a stage musical. It was empty that night, ready to fill with VIP ticket holders. She was snapping photos with her phone and probably sending them to her friends.

“I want to know what the line looks like,” Dongmyeong said. “Do you think we can go find out? Would John-ssi be able to go look and come back and tell us?”

“John-ssi, we need you,” Yonghoon’s voice boomed through the speakers. Everyone in the auditorium laughed, or at least chuckled a little. But, true to his word, John trotted through the house right door of the auditorium.

“Dongmyeong wants to see the line,” Lydia explained to him.

“Sure!” John exclaimed. “Come upstairs to the storage room. It doesn’t sound like much, but there’s a row of windows that look out onto the street below.”

Manager Hansoo, Seungjin, and Lydia stayed down on the main level as we followed John up a secret staircase into a massive room full of set dressing and props. I approached the row of windows on the far side of the room, but I couldn’t see directly down to the sidewalk where everyone would be waiting. John gave me permission to open the window and poke my head out, so I did. The line stretched from the marquee all the way down past the venue’s small parking lot and down the block. I was tempted to shout something, get the fans’ attention, give them a bit of a treat. I held my tongue.

Dongmyeong did not. “Annyeong!” he hollered out his window. “Hi, everybody! Hello!” There was commotion on the sidewalk as necks craned and noses tilted skyward to find the source of the heavily accented greeting. “I’m glad you came to see us!” And then they were all waving and shouting back.

John was still standing in the doorway, laughing heartily at us. “I have to go down and talk to them now, guys,” he said. “It’s time for VIP doors. After they get in, I’ll let in the general admission crowd. About an hour after that, we’ll let you guys get the party started. Come on down again. Shut the windows and follow me back to terra firma.” He brought us back to the green room and locked the secret door behind us. “We made a special cocktail just for tonight, by the way,” John said. “Let me know if any of you want one. The legal members, I mean. I’m afraid we can’t serve Dongmyeong and CyA. We call it a Regulus. It’s Blue Curaçao, raspberry Schnapps, ginger ale, and a little pineapple juice, chilled with frozen blackberries. It makes a pretty, slightly cloudy reddish-purple drink.” He left us in the green room again, and that’s where we waited for our time to hit the stage.

That audience was the biggest one since San Francisco, and the loudest since Seoul. They didn’t know the Korean lyrics, but bless them, they tried. Such is the magic of music. You don’t have to understand the language. It doesn’t need words at all. Music is its own solar system. The sound is the sun, drawing people to it like planets that depend on it for warmth and light. 

Before we loaded up and left for Lake Washington, I made sure to have a Regulus from the bar. It was dangerously delicious. It went down so easily, I could have had two or three more.

I napped on the way down to Lake Washington. Lydia nudged me awake when we arrived. We all climbed out of the van after her and followed her to the front door of the main weekend house. She grabbed a rock from the garden and turned it over, pulling a key out of the bottom of it. “Just where Dad said it would be,” she said as she unlocked the door and turned on the light inside. “Make yourselves comfy. Seungjin-ssi and Hansoo-ssi, I’ll give you the key to the guest house. It’s just over that way. I’m sure you’ll have to jiggle it a little to unlock the knob, because I bet my parents haven’t changed it yet.” She took a key off a hook near the kitchen and handed it over to Seungjin. “Come back and let me know if you can’t get inside.”

There was a note from her parents attached to the refrigerator door. Lydia translated it as she read it aloud. That took real talent. “Leelee,” she began, “Have fun! We want to tell you to keep the boys out of your room, but we know you won’t. Don’t burn the place down, and be careful! Remember, it’s only fun and games until someone gets hurt. You should clean the grill before and after you cook on it. Put fires out completely before you go inside at night. Careful on your way down to the lake if you go. We had a lot of rain a couple weeks ago and there was a small rockslide on the cliff. Your dad says it might not be totally stable and you might wobble or stumble on your way down. The gazebo is fine, but I haven’t been down to clean away the spiderwebs in a while. There’s food in the fridge. Help yourselves. Love, Mom.”

“You have a  _ gazebo _ too?” Harin asked.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Lydia said. “It’s really cool. It has electricity and lights. It’s where I sleep sometimes when I’m here with my family because my parents and my brother drive me crazy.”

Lydia gave us a short tour of the house. The bathroom was the first door in the hallway, and it was enormous and spotlessly clean. The bathtub had jets. The next three doors were bedrooms. MyeongWook took the first one, Yonghoon and I claimed the second, and Lydia led Harin to the third bedroom, at the far end of the hall. That, she explained, was her room every time she stayed at the weekend house.

We were tired. Partying and making mischief could wait for the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at The Rose's concert. Can confirm what "John" said about it. They were breathtaking and I constantly wish I had a time machine. I'd go back so fast.
> 
> Anybody see Hyungu's post on the fancafe with the zippers in his pantlegs open? What a cutie. I have heart eyes for that boy.


	15. Chapter 15

*용훈*

I was starting to get used to Hyungu’s new acceptance of my cuddles. I opened my eyes early in the morning, with the light of the sunrise peeking in through the gauzy curtains of the bedroom. Noting that my guitarist was still fast asleep, I squeezed, pulling him close. He grunted but did not wake. 

There was noise in the next room. A little thump, a little giggle… a deeper giggle. Leelee and Harin were up too. I heard their door open and then Leelee was knocking at ours. She opened it and poked her head inside. “Get up, guys!” she lilted. “I want to show you something!” She moved on down the hall to MyeongWook’s room next, waking them as well.

I shook Hyungu gently. “Gu-yah,” I whispered. “Leelee wants to show us something. Wake up.” He groaned and nuzzled deeper into his pillow. “Cute. Hyungu-yah, up! Let’s go!” Hyungu turned over in my arms and threw his right arm over my neck. Our noses touched. My brain short-circuited. His plump lips were parted slightly and he was exhaling warm breath softly on my mouth. “Uh.” I shook him harder, wailing, “Gu-yah! It’s time to get up!” His enormous eyes snapped open. “Come on, morning breath! Let’s go have breakfast and see whatever it is Leelee was talking about.”

“Did you just call me ‘morning breath’?” Hyungu asked, mouth curling into a small smile. My cheeks flushed. “You don’t like my morning breath, hyung?”

“N-no,” I stammered, getting up from the bed. I flipped the blankets back over my pillow and stretched. “Come on.” Hyungu stared at me from beneath the blankets. “Aish,” I sighed. “Your eyes are so big. Get up!”

Hyungu rubbed his eyes and followed me out the bedroom door. We met up with everyone else in the living room, where they were all watching the sunrise over the lake through the wall of gigantic windows. It was painting the sky in pastel pink, purple, and blue. The colors reflected off the glassy surface of the lake. The overall effect was like a watercolor painting.

Dongmyeong watched with a big grin on his face, all wrapped up tightly in Giwook’s arms. Harin stood behind Leelee, engulfing her petite hips with his huge hands, cutely resting his chin on top of her head. It struck me then that Hyungu and I were lonely. Hyungu, a recent victim of heartbreak, stepped up between the two couples to stand closer to the windows. I followed. I hovered my hand over his shoulder, then thought better of it and let it drop to my side. 

I glanced to my left. Dongmyeong wasn’t even paying attention to the sunrise anymore. He was gazing adoringly at Giwook. “Sunrises always remind me of my Giwook-ah,” he informed us, stroking his fiancé’s cheek. “My fresh start.”

I cleared my throat. “Is this what you wanted to show us, Leelee?” I asked.

“Hmm?” Harin took his chin off her head and she turned slightly to look at me. “Yeah. Isn’t it pretty? This is like, my favorite part of spending weekends here. I hate early mornings, except when I get this view.” 

“It’s a beautiful view,” I agreed.

Leelee’s family had one of those single-serving coffeemakers in the kitchen. After the sunrise, she used it to whip up some coffee for all of us. We had cold cereal and milk for breakfast. “Chloe will be here sometime after noon today,” Leelee said, peering at us over her coffee mug. “Quick notes about my friends. Chloe is a transgender woman who has chosen not to do hormone replacement or anything like that. Just be aware that she’s a girl, whether she looks like one to you or not. Amy only drinks rosé because other alcohols make her sick. She does, however, smoke a lot of weed. So does Davey. That’s pretty much it.” She sipped her coffee. “Oh! And not one of them speaks a word of Korean. Sorry.”

“Most people don’t speak Korean here,” Harin said. “It’s okay. It’s just not a common language outside of Korea. That’s why we have you.”

Leelee hummed contentedly. 

I showered after breakfast. It almost seemed a shame to take a shower when the bathtub next to the shower had those sweet bubble jets. My mind wandered back to the early morning and Hyungu’s mouth. His lips were so full and inviting. Just a couple centimeters. That’s all it would have taken.  _ Hoon, don’t think about making out with your bandmates while you’re in the shower. That’s weird.  _ Besides, Hyungu was straight. Just because I’m not picky doesn’t mean everyone else is the same way. More than that, he had  _ just  _ been through a breakup! I was sure there was some sort of grace period between breaking up and finding someone new. Or at least there should be one. It doesn’t do anyone any good when you give away your freshly battered heart before the bruises have a chance to heal.

After I was dressed, I ventured out to the living room. There was a sliding glass door that led from the living room to a massive back porch, and that’s where I spotted my friends, all standing around and chatting with a long-haired individual in a blue maxi dress who I assumed to be Chloe. Pushing the door open, I stepped out onto the sturdy wood surface. “Is that another K-pop boy I hear behind me?” the person who was probably Chloe asked, turning around to face me. “Hi! I’m Chloe. Nice to meet you.” Her face broke out in a wide grin. “Do you prefer a bow or a handshake or… what?”

It took me a moment to decipher what she had said. “I like a handshake,” I replied. “Please speak slowly.” I reached out and gripped her hand with mine. She was almost as tall as me, barefoot. “I’m very happy to meet you, Chloe. My name is Yonghoon.”

“I’m going to butcher that,” Chloe lamented. “Sorry in advance if I fuck up your name. It’s very pretty.” She turned her attention to Leelee. “They’re all adorable, but I think the baby gays are my favorite.” Leelee laughed and Dongmyeong flushed, knowing that Chloe meant him and Giwook. “Hey, now that Youngwoon is out here, we can grill pizza!”

“Yong. Hoon,” I corrected, speaking slowly and enunciating my syllables. “Yonghoon. Jin Yonghoon.”

“I’m sorry!” Chloe whimpered. “Yong. Hoon. I got it. I still can’t say this one’s name.” She jerked her thumb at Dongmyeong. 

“Think of a cat… rings a bell,” Dongmyeong told her. “Dong… Myeong! You can call me DM.”

“Okay,” Chloe said. “Let’s see. I’ve got Harin, Hyungu, Youngwoon, DM, and Gi… something.”

“Giwook,” Giwook said. “And his name is Yonghoon. Not Youngwoon.”

“Did I do it again?” Chloe groaned. “Okay! Harin! Hyungu! Yonghoon! DM! Gi… Kiwi!”

“Perfect!” Dongmyeong praised, clapping excitedly. 

“Now what does grill pizza mean?” I asked.

“My parents left us frozen pizzas,” Leelee explained in Korean. “I’m going to cook them on the grill.”

“I’ve never seen anyone do that before,” I said. “I want to watch.”

“You don’t want to help?” Chloe asked.

“I supervise!” I replied.

“Your accent is adorable,” she laughed. “Hey, Lyds,” she said, hot on Leelee’s tail, following her inside to the kitchen. “Davey and Amy are on their way too. Davey’s van broke down, so Amy’s picking him up.”

“I think we have enough pizza,” Leelee said. “Hey, guys!” she called to us out the sliding door. “Can one of you get the rack out of the grill so I can wash it?”

As soon as she said it, Harin was on the job. He opened the enormous grill, pulled out the rack and maneuvered it carefully inside the house. 

MyeongWook decided to wander around the sprawling backyard a bit. From the porch, we could just see the roof of the gazebo halfway down the hill. I wanted to go see it, but I was more than happy to wait for Leelee to deem it safe. After all, her mom had left that note about a mudslide. I leaned over the railing of the porch and watched the couple as they passed by flowers and shrubs, probably tended by Leelee’s parents. Hyungu leaned beside me, folding his forearms over each other and resting them on the railing. “Sorry about this morning,” he muttered. “I mean, if that was awkward. Seemed kind of awkward.” I didn’t respond. “I wasn’t trying to put my face on your face, you know?” I nodded. “Your face is red.”

“Yah, shut it!” I snapped, turning on my guitarist. I grinned at him. “I’ll chase you down and make you wish you didn’t point that out.”

“Ew, Giwook-ah!” Dongmyeong cried out. Giwook held something in his cupped hands. “Put it down!”

“But he’s cute!” Giwook argued.

“What do you have?” I hollered.

“A frog!” Giwook replied, turning to smile at me. “It’s adorable!”

“He caught a frog,” Dongmyeong huffed, climbing the porch steps. “Am I marrying a child?” He disappeared through the sliding door.

“You’re the one who accepted my proposal!” Giwook argued. He held out his hands to Hyungu and me. “Do you want to see my frog?”

“Always,” I said. 

Giwook opened his hands slightly and, sure enough, revealed a small frog. It climbed up towards the opening and stared out at us. “I caught it over in the tall grass,” he explained. “I guess it was just moist enough for this little friend.” The frog’s little tongue emerged from its mouth to lick its eyeball. “Aww, gross.” Giwook smiled tenderly at it. “I’ll call you… Libbit. That’s what American frogs say, right?”

“Ribbit,” Hyungu said, correcting Giwook’s pronunciation.

“Myeong-ah!” Giwook shouted in the direction of the open glass door. “My frog friend has a name now!”

“No it doesn’t,” we heard Dongmyeong call back.

“It’s Libbit!” Giwook said, ignoring his fiancé.

Leelee emerged from the house carrying a frozen pizza. Chloe followed her with the freshly cleaned grill rack. “Show me Libbit,” Leelee said. Giwook obliged. “What a cutie!” she gushed. “Looks pretty young, Giwook-ah. I don’t know what Dongmyeong is pouting about in there. That’s a nice frog. It’s not like it can hurt him.”

“It looks slimy!” Dongmyeong whined, standing in the doorway. He was blocking Harin’s path outside. 

“It’s not slimy,” Giwook said.

“But it  _ looks  _ slimy!” Dongmyeong repeated. “And I don’t want it jumping on me.” Harin jabbed his index fingers into Dongmyeong’s sides, causing Dongmyeong to yelp and bounce forward out of the doorway. 

“Speaking of jumping,” I cracked.

“Sorry, little brother,” Harin said affectionately, moving Dongmyeong slightly to the side so he could get through. “You were in the way.” 

Leelee and Chloe set about the baffling practice of grilling pizzas. I mean, I wholly expected them to be delicious. It doesn’t make it any less weird that they were cooking pizza on a charcoal grill. 

A man no taller than Hwanwoong walked around the side of the house. His hair was tied into a low ponytail and he wore a plain t-shirt, cargo shorts, and flip-flops. “Lyds! Chloe!” he said when he saw the girls at the grill. “Makin’ pizza. Nice.” He turned his attention to the rest of us. “Namaste, guys.”

“This is Davey,” Chloe explained. “Davey, the purple one is Hyungu. The red one is DM. The buff one is Harin. The blue boy is Kiwi. The tall one is Youngwoon.”

“Yong! Hoon!” I corrected for what felt like the thousandth time that day. 

“Cool,” Davey said, bowing to us. “You’re all very handsome. I’m pretty jealous. DM, you have a great tan. I’m trying to get tan. It’s only kind of working. I always burn.”

"I have a frog," Giwook informed him.

"That's awesome, dude."

“Thanks for helping me carry all this, Dave!” said a barefoot girl in a sundress as she hauled bags of food and alcohol. She set them down on the ground and blew her long brown bangs out of her face. “Hi, boys!” The girl waved at us. “Welcome to Minnesota! I’m Amy.”

“Beware of Amy!” Davey joked, wiggling his fingers like a magician. “She has Yellow Fever!”

“I’m gonna fucking slap you,” Amy snapped.

“What does it mean?” I asked.

“She’s a white girl who likes Asian boys,” Davey explained.

“No, that would mean that I fetishize them because of their race, which I don’t,” Amy argued. “I do think they’re attractive, but that’s different.”

“She strongly prefers Asian boys,” Davey said. 

Leelee left Chloe in charge of the grill while she helped Amy take the bags inside. Davey plopped cross-legged in the grass and looked up at us. “You guys smoke weed?” he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaahhhh, the mildest of cliffhangers!
> 
> What do you think of Lydia's friends?
> 
> I'm very excited because next week is my last week of college for the semester! And I have brand new audio recording and editing software, so I'll get to work on my EP immediately after school is out for the summer! Hooray!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, the rating has changed and tags have been added. We're going to get a little explicit in this chapter.

_- Harin -_

After pizza, and after insisting more than once that we weren’t interested in smoking with Davey, Lydia unveiled something I hadn’t noticed in the backyard. It was a huge hot tub! Lydia jokingly called it party-sized. How did I fail to notice a hot tub? It had been covered, looking like maybe a storage bin or something. All nine of us fit quite easily. We whiled away the afternoon in the hot tub, sipping rosé and having some sort of broken conversation.

Amy cued up a playlist on her phone, piping it wirelessly to the speakers on the porch. It was poppy, energetic rock sung by a woman with an enormous vocal range and an impressive growl. “I went to high school with this girl,” she began. “She always had the most amazing voice, and she could improvise a song about anything. She sang about the green beans at lunch one day and how they smelled like piss. Landed her in detention for three days. Then, it turned out that one of the cooks had actually pissed in the green beans. I brought sack lunches from then on. Anyway, she just signed with a recording company, took up a stage name, and released this EP. Tomorrow night is her last concert here before she goes on tour. Isn’t she fabulous? She played everything except the drums, and that’s only because she wasn’t confident enough to record them.”

“That one really friendly goth girl with the acoustic guitar she carried around every day?” Lydia blurted. “I remember her! Rose… something or other. You were better friends with her but I always thought she was sweet.”

“She’s Rosy Skye now,” Amy said, taking a quick sip from her wine glass. “It totally fits her whole aesthetic these days. She fucking looks like a sunset now. Lots of warm tones. She finally went outside and let herself get tan.”

“I feel like I also recall her being totally nuts,” Lydia said. “Didn’t she get tattooed when she was like, fifteen? And she pierced her own belly button.” Amy nodded sagely. “Wow,” Lydia breathed. “She got signed? Good for her!”

“Do you want to go to the concert tomorrow?” Amy asked. “We can all get in if we get there early enough and line up. We might have to show up a couple of hours before the show, but we’ll get in. Even your babysitters.” She gestured casually towards Manager Hansoo and Seungjin, who were enjoying their own bottle of wine on the porch, keeping a close watch on the rest of us.

“I want to go!” Dongmyeong squealed excitedly, nearly spilling his wine. Giwook steadied Dongmyeong’s hand and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I love her already!”

Manager Hansoo joined the conversation, and suddenly it was a discussion of plans. Specifically, he did not plan on joining us for the concert, but he would send Seungjin along as a chaperone. “What will you be doing instead?” Lydia asked.

“Maybe I’ll take in a movie,” Manager Hansoo mused. “I’ll find something to do. I hate this music. She sounds so… gruff and angry. Ill-befitting a young woman.”

“I’ll be fitting my foot in your ass,” Lydia mumbled in English. 

A bit later in the day, Lydia walked us down the path to the gazebo and the lake. It was definitely a hillside, but it was nearly sheer enough to be considered a cliff. The path followed a sort of zig-zag pattern, first left, then right to reach the gazebo, then left again and down onto the shore. There was definitely evidence of recent damage, but Lydia said it was just slightly eroded from the heavy rain. 

The gazebo was kind of beautiful, in that bohemian countryside sort of way. It was painted white with a grey tiled roof. The old screen door creaked open and slammed shut behind us. The floor dipped down two steps to a big circle in the center. There were rope lights hung up around the ceiling, as well as on both steps so they were visible at night. It was cozy and peaceful. I could see why Lydia would like to sleep there.

“I’m not getting in the lake,” Lydia said as our feet hit the sand on the shore. “If you recall, I hate natural bodies of water.” She took a deep breath through her nose. “Frankly, this smells better than the ocean.” I sniffed the air. It just smelled like fish to me.

The sun had begun to set by the time we headed back up the hill to the house. Davey busied himself gathering wood into the fire pit in the backyard. Hyungu joined him. They had somewhat bonded over a mutual love of books and quiet places to read them. Davey started the fire and we all gathered around. There was more alcohol, some local craft beer this time. It had a strong, bitter hop flavor that I didn’t dislike too much. Dongmyeong wouldn’t touch it. Lydia provided him some alcoholic sparkling water instead, and he was pleased. It was peach-flavored and appeased his sweet tooth.

We roasted marshmallows over the fire until they were goopy and brown and sandwiched them between graham crackers and chocolate. Hyungu had brought his guitar outside and Yonghoon was feeding him s’mores while he played. His skill blew Lydia’s friends’ minds. I think we gained three new fans that night purely because Hyungu is so talented.

Davey eventually pulled out a plastic baggie and a glass pipe he referred to as a bowl, packed the bowl with weed, and lit it up. He passed it around the fire and we all took a hit, even those of us who had never so much as smelled marijuana before in our lives. What else is the point of being young and invincible? Manager Hansoo had gone to bed. No one was there to admonish us for bad behavior. Lydia might have, if she wasn’t getting stoned with us.

Instead, Lydia was the instigator of even more bad behavior. Her eyes swiveled lazily around our circle and a smirk spread across her features. “Anybody for skinny dipping?” she asked.

The agreement was unanimous. We doused the fire and headed for the pool, stripping off articles of clothing along the way. Lydia was the first in the water, landing with a loud splash and a giggle. The rest of us followed. Forgive me for forgetting the order. I was pretty high. I do remember, in my haze, pressing myself against Lydia and wrapping her petite form in my arms before covering her neck in kisses. She reached down and gripped my cock, very gently rubbing the tip against her clit. It was unexpected and very,  _ very _ exhibitionistic, but, looking at MyeongWook, at least we weren’t alone. I moaned softly and locked her in a deep kiss, and then began hesitantly fingering her. 

There’s a bit of lost time at this point in the story. I don’t remember quite what happened, but I remember glimpsing Davey and Chloe making out. That was a bit of a surprise. Dongmyeong and Giwook had disappeared entirely, probably to either the gazebo or their room inside the house for a bit of privacy. And Yonghoon had his finger under Hyungu’s jaw, tilting the guitarist’s face upward, pressing a passionate kiss on heart-shaped lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was so short this time. I've been having a blockage because of finals, but it will all start flowing out of me again after the semester closes. I'll also finish up Like Cigarettes and Cheap Soap, and start work on another chaptered story! (I have two in the planning stages right now, and neither one is part of this particular universe.)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and thank you for being patient while I grappled with my bullshit. Love you.
> 
> (By the way, Rosy Skye is me! That's my stage name! Hello, shameless cameo!)


	17. Chapter 17

@_KangHyun

Heart racing, I tore my lips away from Yonghoon’s and climbed out of the pool. The cool night air raised goosebumps on my soaked skin as I stumbled inside the house, gathering my clothes along the way. I dropped my clothes in a pile on the floor of the bathroom and turned on the light, then shut the bathroom door and locked it behind me. I looked in the mirror, studying my bloodshot eyes. I was definitely still high. My hands felt like galaxies. I wish I could explain what I mean by that.

I could hear Dongmyeong and Giwook making love in the next room. It made me a bit envious. Since my breakup, I was craving that intimacy. I wanted to feel wanted. That’s why I was more open to Yonghoon’s cuddles at night. Surely that was why. I craved to be held. I craved to be kissed. But not like that. Not by my bandmate while we were heavily intoxicated and high. 

On the other side of the wall, Dongmyeong cried out loudly. Whether it was from pain or ecstasy, I couldn’t tell. Didn’t want to know. I turned on the shower and let it wash away the dirt, the salty pool water, and the taste of Yonghoon’s tongue in my mouth. My breath reeked of beer and I could smell the distinct odor of marijuana in my hair and on my skin. I scrubbed myself hard, washing probably more thoroughly than I had in the past year. It was too soon after Amanda. Yonghoon knew that. My mind drifted back to Amanda again. Stupid Amanda. Stupid Hyungu. Placing my hand on the shower wall for balance, I broke down in tears that mingled with the shower water and rinsed away like the grime of the day. It’s safe to say I wasn’t handling things well.

When the water ran cold, I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. I brushed my teeth at the sink, then picked up my clothes and took them into the bedroom I was supposed to share with Yonghoon. I dropped them in the laundry basket, threw on fresh pajamas, and curled up under the blankets of the bed. I would build a wall in the middle of the bed when Yonghoon came in. 

Of course, he never did. I got up the next morning, hungover and still ashamed of the previous night. I made a cup of coffee and found Yonghoon sprawled out naked on the sofa. After making sure he was breathing, I tossed a throw blanket over his lower half and went back to the kitchen to pour a bowl of cereal.

Dongmyeong limped into the kitchen next, got his own breakfast, and joined me at the dining table. He sat down carefully, wincing. “Are you okay?” I asked, just above a whisper. I didn’t want to wake the rest of the house, and I also didn’t want to hurt Dongmyeong’s head if he was feeling anything like I was.

“I’m fine,” he dismissed with a smile. “I think that wonderful fiancé of mine broke me a little last night, but I’ll be okay.”

“How’d you do it?” I asked. Dongmyeong tipped his head to the side questioningly. “How did you find the love of your life so early? How do you know he’s the one?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Dongmyeong shrugged. He smiled softly and chased Cheerios around with his spoon. “I don’t know how I know. It’s just a feeling. I think it’s different for everyone. What I know is, I’m completely at-ease with Giwook-ah. He makes me a better person and I trust him fully. It took some work to get to this point, and I know we still have a lot to work on, but I think he’s worth the effort. He’s the key to my heart.”

I slumped, resting my chin in my hand. “I’ve never had that feeling with anyone,” I mumbled. “I envy you. For all the shit I give you guys, you really are a beautiful couple.”

Dongmyeong’s cheeks flushed. “So,” he began, “what happened after we escaped last night? Anything exciting?” I looked over at Yonghoon’s sleeping form on the sofa. Dongmyeong’s gaze followed mine, landing on our eldest hyung. He gasped. “Whoa, looks like Yonghoon-hyung had a rough night.”

“He’s alive,” I said. “I checked.”

“Good.”

“He kissed me in the pool,” I mumbled. Dongmyeong tugged at his ear, gesturing that he couldn’t hear me, so I repeated myself. “I said he kissed me,” I enunciated. “He kissed me while we were all naked in the swimming pool.”

“What the fuck?” Dongmyeong hissed. His eyes grew wide as he leaned forward over his bowl of cereal. “Did you kiss him back?”

“I don’t remember? I don’t really want to discuss it.” Dongmyeong opened his mouth to speak, but I held up my palm. “Please, Dongmyeong-ah. Don’t push me to talk.”

“Are you okay right now? I mean, if anybody knows anything about kissing boys around here, it’s me. And probably Lydia-noona, but she’s a girl, so she’s not helpful.” He lifted his bowl and drank the milk inside. “I’m here for you if you need me, hyung.”

My coffee was cooling off. I took a big gulp and sighed. “I don’t know if I’m okay,” I whispered. “I kept thinking about Amanda last night. After the kiss, I mean. I ran - or tried to run - and got in the shower so I could be alone with my thoughts. And my thoughts just turned back to her. Am I a pabo?”

“Hyung, I don’t think you need me to tell you how stupid you are,” Dongmyeong said.

“Yah,” I warned, reaching across the table to slap at him.

“Ah, hey! Not my hands!” He snatched my hand in his and held it. “Listen to me! You  _ are _ a pabo. I don’t know exactly what happened with Amanda. I don’t think  _ you  _ know exactly what happened with Amanda. Obviously, you need some time to figure things out again. Reevaluate yourself. And if you do that by having a rebound fling with a man, then that’s just how it goes.” Dongmyeong released my hands. “God, I’m sore,” he breathed.

“You should scold your fiancé for breaking you,” I joked. Dongmyeong chuckled. 

Yonghoon stirred on the sofa, lifting his arms high to stretch. He groaned. Davey opened the sliding patio door and entered the house clad only in boxers. Looking to the backyard, I saw where he had come from. He and Lydia’s other friends had pitched a big tent outside. When and how they managed that, I had no idea. “Hoon,” Davey droned, approaching our leader. “Hoon-master. Dude. You good?” Yonghoon groaned again, swatting at the short-statured stoner. “Bro, you need a glass of water.” Davey moved to the kitchen to pour some water for Yonghoon, ruffling my hair along the way. “How are you doing, dudes?”

“Sore,” Dongmyeong replied.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I added.

“Weird shit happens, Guitar God,” Davey shrugged. “To endure the shit, you have to be stronger than the shit.”

“Namasté,” I said.

“Exactly, dude.” He passed by again, carrying a fresh glass of water to the living room and helping Yonghoon sit up and drink it. Fucking weird, but a good guy. “You are still naked, my friend,” he informed Yonghoon. 

I retreated to the bedroom and dug through Yonghoon’s luggage for a set of clothes, then placed them on the counter in the bathroom. I went back to the living room. “There’s an outfit waiting for you in the bathroom, hyung,” I said. Davey looked quizzically at me, so I repeated my statement in my intermediate-level English. He nodded. “You should go take a shower.”

“I’m sorry, Gu-yah,” Yonghoon muttered. “About last night. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“I don’t think anyone was thinking clearly last night,” I said.

“Good point.” Yonghoon managed an embarrassed smile. “I felt so bad about it, I slept out here so I wouldn’t make you even more uncomfortable.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “Maybe cover your dick on your way to the bathroom.”

“Are you mad at me?” Yonghoon sat up and gathered the blanket about his waist, keeping himself modest. I looked back at Dongmyeong, who was watching intently from the dining table.

“No,” I sighed. “I’m not mad at you. I’m not… totally closed off to the idea. I’m keeping an open mind. But if you kiss me again, we’d better be sober.”

“I’m sober.” He leaned forward and captured my lips, taking me completely by surprise. Pulling away he said, “I’ll go take a shower now.” Yonghoon then cupped his hands over his junk and waddled quickly to the bathroom while Dongmyeong laughed so hard he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friends! Lots of news!  
> I finished (and hopefully totally nailed) my finals for the semester! I am free!  
> After playing ukulele for a good many years, I'm in the process of building one myself!  
> One of my incredible friends in South Korea found the same D.XO.H hat Dongmyeong has and bought one for me!  
> It's really an exclamation point kind of day.


	18. Chapter 18

*옹훈*

After cleaning up and eating breakfast, I took Hyungu by the hand and led him down to the shore of the lake for a little privacy. We sat down in the sand together. “I want to talk to you about last night,” I said. “And this morning, I guess.” He hummed beside me and dug his feet into the wet sand as the waves of the lake lapped up, washing over our toes. “I know it was all weird and I’m really sorry about it.”

“You’ve already apologized,” Hyungu mumbled. He was staring at a fishing boat across the lake. People got an early start around here.

“I know. I just…” I paused. “I don’t know what to call this. I don’t know what you want it to be, or what I want it to be. And I know you’re still aching from, you know,  _ her _ . So I want you to take the lead from here on out. I won’t so much as touch you without your consent.”

Hyungu scooted closer, placed his hand over mine, and rested his head on my shoulder for just a few seconds before popping back up. “Nope!” he yelped. “It’s too weird!” I laughed. “If I’m taking the lead, we’re going slower than a snail stuck in hardening dalgona.”

“Do you realize how incredibly strange that phrase sounds?”

“I realized it after I said it,” Hyungu laughed. His fingers curled around my hand and he twinkled at me. Hyungu never just smiles. He twinkles. His half-moon eyes wane a little to a crescent shape and sparkle like stars. It’s cute.  _ He’s  _ cute. He nibbled at his bottom lip and his gaze dropped to our hands. He appeared deep in thought. Then, unexpectedly, Hyungu leaned in and kissed me. He pulled away before I had the chance to kiss back. “Just taking someone’s advice,” he mumbled. “You don’t mind being a little bit of a rebound?”

“Not in the slightest.” I cupped his face and kissed his plush lips. We hung out on the shore of the lake until noon, skipping rocks across the lake’s surface, getting comfortable with each other, and yes, kissing. Leelee eventually called us back up the hill for lunch. 

There were burgers on the grill when we got back up to the backyard. “How much blood do you like?” Amy asked, throwing two more on for Hyungu and me. “Medium-rare? Medium? How long do I cook your beef?”

“Medium, please,” Hyungu replied. I nodded. I still wasn’t great at English, but I knew how to order a burger.

The tent had been packed away while we were down by the lake. “You are leaving?” I asked Davey. “You... house. It’s gone.”

“The word is ‘tent’, my friend,” Davey corrected. I tried the new word out on my tongue as Davey continued. “Yeah, we’re all heading home after Rosy Skye’s concert tonight. But it’s been great hanging out with you guys. I hope I see you again someday.”

“Tent,” I said. “New word.”

Davey cracked up. “Glad I taught you something, man. I  _ love  _ your accent.”

“Thanks.” 

Surprising me again, Hyungu pulled me in close for a kiss. “And I did not see that coming!” Chloe exclaimed.

“I did,” Dongmyeong singsonged. “I’m psychic or something.” He leaned back against Giwook’s chest. “You have to take extra good care of me now,” he informed Giwook. “Not only did you make me sore, but now I have superpowers.”

“You’re weird and I love you,” Giwook replied, wrapping both arms around Dongmyeong’s chest. Something about the two of them together made my heart swell. Like that was what love was supposed to look like.

“Noona!” Dongmyeong called out for Leelee. She approached and sat near the couple so Dongmyeong could whisper something to her. Part of me thought maybe he was talking about Hyungu and me.

I rarely worried about getting sunburnt. I was just never outside long enough anymore. After my first burger, I ran inside to use the bathroom. I thought it was a trick of the light when I looked at myself in the mirror, but upon prodding my beet red, slightly swollen skin with my fingertips, I realized I had burned out in the sun over the past few hours. I shot off a Kakao message to the band’s group chat, requesting that someone ask Leelee if she had any aloe gel I could use. Hyungu responded.  _ She says it’s in the cupboard under the bathroom sink. You should wear sunscreen, hyung. _ So I found the bottle of unnaturally green gel, slathered it on my burning skin, and hid inside for the rest of the day. I still managed to get two more burgers by enlisting Giwook to bring them to me. What else is a maknae for, anyway?

It was mid-evening when we left for Leelee’s hometown, which only took about twenty minutes to reach by car. It was rare that we had the chance to stand in the audience at a concert, so I was excited, even if I still didn’t really know who Rosy Skye was. We joined the line forming outside the venue. It was already wrapping around the corner of the building. “When do the doors open?” Hyungu asked. 

“In an hour and a half,” Amy said as she checked her watch. “I’m so pumped. I haven’t seen this girl in months.”

I rested my back against the brick wall and slid down to sit on the concrete sidewalk. If I had an hour and a half to wait just to get inside, I was going to make myself comfortable. We sat and waited for what felt like forever, with the line gradually growing behind us. Seungjin, on-duty, stood the entire time with his arms folded over his barrel chest. He could look terribly frightening when he wanted to. Of course, when the doors opened and the line started moving, the youngest among us scrabbled clumsily as he tried to find his footing. Seungjin picked Giwook up off the ground and planted his feet on the concrete, ending his struggle. 

I was surprised to find that the venue we were going to was actually  _ upstairs  _ from the bar. As everyone filed up the staircase to pay the bouncer and have their hands stamped, I heard him saying to each of them, “All-ages, no alcohol tonight. If you get a drink downstairs, it stays downstairs. Enjoy the show.” He said it to us as well. I watched him stamp a smiley face on the back of my hand in dark green ink. 

The venue was one long room with a bar along one side. The bathrooms were next to the bar. In the front of the room was a lounge area with a pool table and sofas. All the way to the back was the stage. A woman with short, bright peach hair was sitting cross-legged on the stage, negotiating with her cables. “Rosy!” Amy yelled, skipping to the stage. The woman looked up and grinned. The rest of us followed Amy, who turned around to face us. “Everyone, this is Rosy Skye. Rosy,” she said, turning to the budding pop star, “you remember Lydia from high school.”

“Of course I do!” Rosy exclaimed. “I can’t believe you came!”

“This is Davey and Chloe,” Amy explained, pointing out the people in question. “And these guys are-”

“ONEWE!” Rosy blurted. “Annyeonghaseyo! Thank you for coming to my concert!” She addressed us in Korean and I thought I would faint. “I guess no one warned you that I speak your language?” Rosy giggled. We must have been making some pretty interesting faces at her. “Well, I speak some of your language. I’m a big Day6 fan, especially.”

“I  _ love  _ Day6!” Harin gushed. 

“Hell yeah!” Rosy said, flipping back to English and lifting her hand for a high five. And just like that, Harin had a new friend. “I’m setting up now so I can go on in an hour. I can’t believe how big the crowd is already! I didn’t know people liked me this much!”

“You’re leaving for a tour,” Amy said. “Of course the whole town’s gonna show up to send you off.”

“I mean, I haven’t seen some of these people since the last show my old band played,” Rosy said. “I’m gonna get all misty during the concert. I don’t want anyone to see me cry!”

“Rose,” Leelee began, “you’ve got your nose pierced. Where do you recommend having it done?”

Rosy reached up and twiddled her septum ring with her fingers. “I went to the shop down the street here,” she said. “I know the head piercer there. This was completely painless. Why?”

“He did my tongue!” Leelee said, sticking her tongue out to show off the fluorescent orange ball. “I was wondering because it’s been a while since I got pierced. Dongmyeong said he wants his nose pierced, and I’m taking him tomorrow.”

“I don’t want it in the middle!” Dongmyeong added. “Left side.”

“I’ve never had my nostril done, but I hear it hurts,” Rosy said. “Like, just enough to make your eyes water. I think it will suit you though, Dongmyeong.”

“Thanks,” Dongmyeong said as a tiny blush crept over his cheeks. 

Rosy’s concert was energetic. She was good. She definitely knew what she was doing and how to do it. When she slung a long-scale electric guitar over her shoulders for her final song, Hyungu’s eyes widened. “I want one,” he breathed. “It’s so pretty. Look at all the range that thing must have!” I snorted and wrapped my arm around his shoulders.

“This is my last song for the night, friends,” Rosy said into the mic. The crowd groaned. Some booed. “Boo me again. I dare you,” she snapped with a mischievous grin. “I want to thank you all one more time for being here for me tonight as I kick off my first tour! Thank you also to the staff here at the venue for making this place my second home for so long.” She stomped on a footswitch at the front of the stage and tested her guitar’s tone. “I love you all. Miss you already. This song is called Sunshower.”

I ended up buying a t-shirt at the end of the concert. Rosy very kindly allowed Hyungu to try out the beautiful guitar he was coveting. She jokingly dropped to her knees and bowed at his feet as he casually shredded, like it was nothing. When Hyungu returned her guitar, he gave her a tight hug and thanked her for the opportunity to play with it a little. “Hey, honestly,” she said, “thank you for blessing my ears. I can’t believe the great KangHyun himself just showed me up on my own guitar.”

Hyungu laughed and blushed, and I felt a pang of jealousy. But whatever. I was respecting him and letting him lead the way, right? He could change his mind about me. That was his right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be clear, I'm _not_ shipping myself with Hyungu!  
> Although I would if he wanted me to.  
> Just saying.
> 
> It's officially May 13th in Korea, and therefore it is the one-year anniversary of our boys redebuting under the name ONEWE! I want them to have the world.


	19. Surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Dongmyeong Special!

Dongmyeong ~*~

I climbed on top of my fiancé late in the morning after the Rosy Skye concert. Resting my arms on either side of his head, I leaned down and rubbed my nose against Giwook’s. He stirred beneath me. “Wake up, jagiya,” I whispered. “You have to come with noona and me when I get my nose pierced!”

Giwook’s mismatched eyes fluttered open and he tilted his head to kiss the tip of my nose. I wrinkled it in response, grinning at him as the butterflies rushed all throughout my chest and stomach. “Had to do that before it falls off,” Giwook mumbled in his deep, sleepy morning voice. 

“My nose isn’t going to fall off!” I shrieked, sitting back gently on his hips. He laughed. “You’re such a dork!”

“I like where you’re sitting, nae sarang.” Giwook smirked and put his hands on my thighs.

“I do too,” I agreed. “We don’t have time to do it right now. Not if you want to be able to shower before we leave.”

“Not even a quickie?”

“Giwook-ah!” I wailed before dropping back onto his chest and covering his cheeks in kisses. “You. Have. To. Get. Up. I can’t go without you.” I pulled back and stared into his eyes. “Please? I wouldn’t have made it halfway through our tattoos without you holding my hand.”

“I’m up,” Giwook said with a nod, probably tangling his hair against the pillow. 

I got up off of him and chose an outfit for the day. When I turned around, I found Giwook kneeling on the floor by his suitcase, naked as he was when we went to bed the night before. His luggage was tidier than mine. Everything was still folded this far into the tour. My clothes had, over the past weeks, congealed into a jumbled mess of wrinkled fabric. As I watched him, Giwook pulled out a few items of clothing, stacking them neatly on the floor. He plopped a pair of socks on the very top of the pile, like the cherry on a sundae. “You’re so cute,” I gushed.

“I  _ am  _ cute,” Giwook agreed as he rose to his feet. He picked up his clothing pile and held it in front of his crotch. “I’m going to take a shower.” He opened the bedroom door just as Lydia was about to knock and wake us.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” she breathed, covering her face with her hands. “Why are you naked?”

“Why not?” Giwook replied. “I’m washing up and coming along with you and Myeong-ah. Noona, can you get out of the doorway so I can get to the bathroom?”

Lydia stepped aside and let Giwook leave the room. “I don’t recommend coming in yet,” I warned. “I’ll tell you when I’ve got pants on.”

“You guys just sleep naked?” Lydia asked. “Like,  _ all _ the time?”

“Yeah,” I sighed as I pulled on a pair of shorts and zipped the fly. “It’s comfortable. And it’s skin contact, which is important for mental health. You can look now.” 

Lydia came in and sat on the edge of the bed while I threw on a sleeveless shirt. “Are you ready?” she asked me.

“I think so,” I said. “If nothing else, I’m really excited. Do you think it will look good on me?”

“I think you have a good face for a nose ring,” Lydia said. I sprayed myself with my favorite perfume, then turned the bottle on her and spritzed it on her clothes. “Hey!”

“Calm down,” I laughed. “You smell good now.”

“I smelled fine before!” She sniffed her shirt. “Oh, shit. You’re right. Dongmyeong-ah! You have really good taste!”

“I know.” I shrugged my shoulders and dug my lip balm out of the pocket of my luggage. “Are you like, ready to go? All dressed and made up and everything?”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously?” I stopped rubbing the pale blue stick on my lips. I hadn’t meant to sound so incredulous, but she raised an eyebrow and scoffed at me. “I mean I can’t believe you’re already ready to go. When did you get up?”

“About an hour ago,” Lydia replied. “I accidentally woke Rinnie too. He went right back to sleep.” She chuckled briefly, but the smile lingered on her lips.

“Oh, you’ve got it  _ bad  _ for our boy!” I laughed. 

“Shush.”

Amy volunteered to give the three of us a ride. She said she had to go shopping for crochet and sewing supplies anyway, and there was a nice local shop she liked on the same street. She picked us up from the house, Lydia taking up the front passenger’s seat while Giwook and I tumbled into the back of the car. Lydia annexed the audio cable and turned on our most recent comeback. “Who are we listening to?” Amy asked. “They’re  _ really  _ good!”

“They’re in your backseat,” Lydia explained.

“You’re shitting me!” Amy exclaimed. “You guys are so talented!” she hollered back to us.

“Thank you!” I replied. “We work hard.”

Amy parked the car in a small lot between a couple of buildings and we climbed out. “Look down that way, guys,” Lydia instructed, pointing to our right. “You can see the venue we were at yesterday.”

“Ah, there it is!” Giwook said, grinning. “I really like that venue. I like how the stage and walls are all covered in band stickers.”

“I’ll see you guys later!” Amy said. She waved as she headed off in the direction of her preferred craft store. “Good luck with your piercing!”

Ah, right. That is why we were there. Lydia led us down the wide sidewalk, past a bicycle shop and a pawn shop. “Silence your phones,” she said as she opened the door to the tattoo and piercing place. “They’re not terribly picky about it, but it does irritate some of the artists.”

My hands shook as I took my phone out of my pocket and silenced the ring. We followed her inside. The walls were all painted a really beautiful shade of teal. There was artwork hanging everywhere, all done by the tattoo artists themselves. Lydia talked with the woman at the check-in desk, telling her that I was there for a piercing. I had to present my passport as my valid form of government-issued ID and fill out a form to indicate I was sober, willing, and accepted the risks that go along with getting pierced. Lydia put Amy’s phone number down as my emergency contact. After all, Amy had the keys to the car if we needed to rush me to a doctor - God forbid!

I wasn’t nervous. I was just excited.

My form was placed on the desk and the woman directed us to the waiting area. “Just go have a seat,” she said. “Brian will call for you when he’s ready.”

We sat down. There was a bookcase loaded with portfolios of artists right next to the chair Giwook sat on. He picked one up and started leafing through it, marveling at the artwork inside. I glanced down at the line drawing of interlocked hands tattooed on my left forearm. That boy was  _ not  _ talking me into getting another tattoo with him, no matter how much he oohed and ahhed. 

After a few minutes, this huge, burly guy came ambling out of one of the rooms that sprouted off the main room like leaves from a branch. His waist-length hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and he had a scraggly goatee that reached his chest. His nose and bottom lip were both pierced in three places, both eyebrows bore two rings, and his ears had holes I could have stuck two fingers through. He picked up my form and examined it, and I could feel myself shrinking in my seat. “I’m sure I’m pronouncing this wrong but, Dongmyeong Son?” He was correct, he had pronounced my name wrong. He made “Dong” rhyme with “long,” skipped the “y” in “myeong” entirely, and said my surname like the sun in the sky. I corrected him as I stood up from my chair. “Sorry. I’ll do better,” he promised. “I’m Brian. If you’re ready to go, I’ll take you now.”

“Um, yeah,” I said with the smallest of bows. “You can call me DM. It’s easier. My fiancé comes along too?”

“Of course,” Brian said. “I won’t have you any less than comfortable. Piercings are so much less stressful and traumatic when you have a hand to hold. Speaking of a hand to hold, that is some excellent linework on your arm, there, DM! Who did that piece?”

“An artist in South Korea,” I said as I trailed after him. “Fiancé and I are from South Korea.”

Giwook and Lydia both rose from their chairs and followed after Brian and me. “I’m his interpreter,” Lydia explained. “The boys don’t speak a ton of English, so I’m here to make it easier on everyone. Also, you pierced my tongue last year. Do you remember me?”

“I do!” Brian exclaimed. He led us into the small room he had come out of. “You were so tough until I had the needle in front of your face.” He shut the door behind us. “DM, go ahead and have a seat right here on the table.” Brian patted the vinyl cushion on a table that was much like a doctor’s examination table. “Your fiancé can sit next to you, or he and your interpreter can sit on the bench there, by the wall. Welcome to my piercing room.” He looked at my form again. “So… left nostril, huh?” Brian approached me and gently took my chin in his enormous hand. He studied my face closely, turning and tilting so he could get a good look. “Yeah, we can do that easily. Do you want a ring or a stud? Rings are easier to keep clean. Studs are harder to notice.”

I hesitated, biting my lip. Giwook, sitting beside me, leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Get a ring,” he said. “That way, I can’t possibly forget it’s there and accidentally hurt you.”

“A ring,” I said.

“A ring he requests,” Brian sang, “and a ring he shall have.” He went to the sink and scrubbed his hands thoroughly, multiple times, for a total of about a minute. Then, Brian slipped on a pair of black disposable gloves and selected a sterile needle and jewelry, all wrapped up in tightly sealed paper packaging like a bandage comes in. He set them on a steel tray and pulled up a stool in front of me. “So, I see you already have your earlobes and a helix. What hurt the most for you?”

“Up here,” I said, pointing at the ring in the cartilage of my ear, the piercing Brian had called a helix. “It pops.”

“When you had it pierced?” he asked. I nodded. “Yeah, cartilage does that. That’s what this is made of too.” He was beginning to clean my nose in the area he would pierce. “Cartilage doesn’t like to heal very quickly and it hurts real bad when we stick it with needles. Can I look at your helix piercing?” I nodded again and he got up from the stool to examine it. “Good, good. You have no keloids or scarring at all. I’m no longer even a little bit worried about this nostril piercing. You’re gonna be fine, DM.”

For a giant, intimidating motorcycle gang-type dude, Brian had a soothing voice and a friendly demeanor. He unwrapped the jewelry - a captive bead ring, he said it was in English - and held it up next to my nose. Nodding his approval, he picked up a piercing marker, also sterile, looked up inside my nose, and placed a purple dot in the spot he wanted to pierce me. He held up a mirror so I could check the placement. I looked, then turned to Giwook. “Jagiya?” I said. 

“I think that’s perfect,” Giwook confirmed with a big smile.

“I’ll let you mentally prepare,” Brian said as he set the mirror down. He peeled his gloves off and replaced them with fresh ones. 

“I-I’m ready,” I said shakily. 

“Okay, SpongeBob,” Brian laughed. “Let’s do this. I won’t be using a clamp. I find they get in the way and make it harder for me to get good placement. You do not have to watch the needle go in.” He tore open the pack with the needle inside and held it up. “All I ask is for one big, deep breath, and when I say ‘three,’ I want you to let it out through your mouth nice and slowly. Are you calm, DM?” I nodded. “And you’re sure you’re ready?” I nodded again. “On three, then. One…” Brian brought the needle close to my face. “Two…” I felt a tiny poke as he lined it up with the mark. 

“Hurnng!” I burbled, followed by a short whimper.

Brian pulled the needle away from my face. “You okay, DM?”

“Yes!” I squeaked. “Sorry. I just got nervous.”

“Does it help if I don’t count aloud?” Brian asked. “I can just direct your breathing instead.”

“That would help,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Okay, then.” Brian approached with the needle again. “This time, go ahead and take your deep breath. Hold it. And…” I heard a pop and yelped a little, squeezing Giwook’s hand as my eyes teared up. “Exhale.” I slowly let out a rush of air from between my lips. “Great job, DM!” Brian praised. He pushed the ring through behind the needle, lined up the bead that would hold it tight, and squeezed the ends together to grip the bead. “You’re all done! You’re just bleeding a little bit, so let me clean that up.” Brian grabbed a cotton swab and dabbed at the fresh hole in my nose. “What do you think, fiancé? DM looks pretty good, huh?”

I turned my head to face Giwook, who smiled broadly. “Sexy!” he laughed. “I like it.”

I let a grin overtake my whole face and squealed, shrieking peals of delighted laughter. “I did it!” I cried. “I did it! I was brave and it only hurt a little!”

“I take it he’s pleased?” Brian asked Lydia.

“He loves it,” she confirmed. “Mostly, he’s proud of himself for getting a piercing.”

“He should be proud.”

We bought something called H2Ocean because all of the staff insisted it made aftercare so much easier than mixing up a saline solution by myself and I paid my fee, throwing in a little extra as a tip for Brian. Lydia had told me it was customary to tip tattoo artists and piercers in the USA, just like restaurant waitstaff. 

As a treat, we all went to the record store across the street. Lydia bought me an old Misfits album, which I was excited to experience for the first time, and I showed off my shiny new nose ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, fellow WEVEs! (Or as the boys keep calling us, WEEBEU!)  
> I'll get used to the new fandom name, I guess. And I'm overly excited about the official release date for ONE!  
> I hope everyone liked Dongmyeong's special chapter. I felt I couldn't write in a new piercing for him without letting him give an account of his experience.  
> Just to check in, how's everyone doing?


	20. Chapter 20

_- Harin -_

New York City is huge, but it was somehow smaller than I expected. It reminded me of Tokyo with all the lights and billboards, people milling about, talking to each other in a language I only sort of understood. I knew we had reached the famous Broadway when Dongmyeong squealed in the very back of the van, bouncing in his seat and pointing out the window. “Phantom of the Opera!” he cried. “And look! Wicked!” His tone took on an audible pout as he added, “Oh, I really want to see a show here someday.”

“We will,” Giwook promised him. “I’ll bring you back here. Maybe after our enlistment. Or maybe for our honeymoon.”

“They’re so cute,” Lydia commented. She was gently playing with my fingers, running her own against rough calluses and scars I wear like badges of honor for a drummer. She craned her neck and called to the back of the van. “Dongmyeong-ah! I didn’t know you liked musical theater!”

“It’s my favorite!” Dongmyeong called back in English. “And my brother! We both love it  _ so  _ much!”

“Hey, great sentences!” Lydia praised. “I love that kid,” she laughed, turning her gaze to me. “What I got was a big brother, but what I’ve always wanted was a little one. I’m adopting your keyboardist.”

“Not allowed,” Hyungu said. “We need him.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and scooted over to lean against Yonghoon. The two of them closed their eyes contentedly as the sun set and we waited in slow traffic. 

When we got to the hotel, we were back to our usual rooming configuration with me sharing a room with Yonghoon and Hyungu, although I definitely intended to sneak out and spend as much time in Lydia’s room as possible. She had carefully slipped the extra keycard to her room into the pocket on my shirt as she was hugging all of us before we split up. Her sleight was so smooth, I kind of wondered if she was a magician.

ONEUS would be arriving in the morning. There was so much for them to catch up on! And they probably had a lot for us to hear about as well. But I wasn’t focused on them at the moment. I was busy gathering up a few  _ essential  _ items to take along to Lydia’s room.

“Are you sleeping here tonight?” Hyungu mumbled to me over his laptop. He was doing homework again, sitting between Yonghoon’s legs, resting his back against our leader’s chest.

“No,” I replied as I stuffed a not-so-discreet little foil pouch into my pocket. “I’m sleeping with Lydia.”

“No kidding,” Yonghoon snorted. “Glad you’re being safe.”

I blushed. “Shut up, hyung!”

Lydia was waiting for me in her pajamas, which consisted of only underwear and a tank top. I slipped my shoes off inside her room and crawled onto the bed, pressing my lips to hers as soon as I could reach. She abandoned the TV remote and pulled me in, deepening the kiss before pulling back and gently stroking the side of my neck. “I was thinking we’d watch a movie tonight,” she said softly, her mouth mere millimeters away from mine. “Unless you had something else in mind?” I guided her gently down onto her back and peppered her collarbone in kisses while she giggled. Lydia, as it turns out, was  _ extremely _ ticklish.

I slipped the foil-wrapped condom out of my pocket and held it up to show my maybe-girlfriend. She grinned and nodded, then snatched it out of my hand and watched me undress. When I was down to boxer briefs, I stopped and got back into bed, leaning on my left elbow. I threw my arm over Lydia’s waist and she scooted close to me. “I want to ask you something before we do this again,” I whispered. Lydia raised an eyebrow at me. “What are we? Us. Are you my girlfriend?”

“Do you want me to be your girlfriend, Rinnie?” Lydia cooed. I nodded. “Then I’m your girlfriend. Kiss me.” I did as I was told, slipping my hand under her tank top to tease her soft skin, raising goosebumps as my fingers trailed up to one very sensitive nipple. She moaned into my mouth. I kneaded her breasts and playfully pinched her nipples while we made out, before pushing the tank top up over her head and tossing it on the floor. 

I kissed along her jaw, down her neck, and over her collarbone, then sucked at both nipples while I worked my fingers under the waistband of her panties. As I dragged them down her legs, I kissed my way down her stomach and ran my tongue over her clit, which had perked up to attention for me. I practically buried my face between her thighs, lapping up sweet wetness as her moans grew louder. “Shh, noona,” I laughed softly when I came up for air. “Someone will hear us.”

“Fuck me now,” she begged in a whisper. I pulled off my underwear, damp with precum, and took the condom from her hands, tearing it open and rolling it on over my aching cock. I rose up and hovered above her, lining myself up with one hand while I held myself up with the other so I wouldn’t crush my tiny girlfriend. Then, slowly, I slipped inside.

* * *

I forgot to set an alarm on my watch. I awoke in bed with Lydia, still naked, clutching her waist, as the sunlight streamed between the gap in the curtains. “Shit!” I cursed.

“Good morning to you, too, babe,” Lydia mumbled, turning over to face me. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is it’s morning, the sun is up, and I forgot to get up and leave hours ago so I could pretend I spent the night in the room I’m supposed to be sharing with Hyungu and Yonghoon-hyung,” I babbled. “I’m dead. I’m fucking dead. I’m going to die. Manager Hansoo will kill me and throw me in the Atlantic and there’s nothing I can do about it!”

“Hush, Rinnie,” Lydia soothed. “Calm down. It’s okay. If he doesn’t see you sneaking back to your room, you’ll be fine.”

“But if he does, we’re both in trouble.” I swallowed hard and pulled the blankets up to my chin. “ _ Lots  _ of trouble.”

“We’ll be fine.” Lydia tugged the blankets down. “I can leave the room first. If I see Hansoo, I’ll distract him so you get a chance to slip away.” She pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Just breathe,” she whispered as she pulled away. “You’re a rock star, Rinnie. You got this.”

“I got this,” I repeated, sitting up. I took a deep breath. “You’re going to get ready now?”

“I suppose I should,” Lydia sighed. She got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. “I mean, you want to be able to greet ONEUS when they show up, right?” The bathroom door clicked shut and I heard the shower turn on. 

While Lydia washed up, I dressed myself and prepared for my so-called walk of shame, although I wasn’t ashamed. Not really. I sat on the bed and waited while Lydia dressed and applied minimal makeup. She pecked me on the lips before lacing up her Converse Chucks and heading for the door. “You’ll be fine, Rinnie,” she assured me. “Remember that.”

Lydia poked her head out the door and scanned the hallway before waving me over to the door. I joined her. “Am I safe?” I asked.

“Looks that way,” she replied with a smile. “I’ll see you at breakfast.” Lydia slipped out the door and pranced down the hall to the stairs. I sped as quickly and quietly as I could to my actual room, tapping the keycard against the lock to gain entry. 

“Hey, good morning!” Yonghoon practically sang from the bed he was sitting cross-legged on. Hyungu must have been washing up. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes, but getting back here was extremely stressful,” I sighed. I ran my fingers through my hair. “I call the shower when Hyungu-yah finishes. I… smell like sex. I don’t want Manager Hansoo to pick up on it.”

“What? You think he’s going to sniff you?” Yonghoon laughed. “That’s weird. That would be messed up even for him.”

“Please, hyung.” I plopped down next to him on the bed. “I forgot to set my alarm so I could sneak out of Lydia’s room. I thought I was going to get caught on my way back here. I’m so paranoid.”

“But you didn’t get caught, did you?” I shook my head. “Then everything is fine. You’re safe. If you raise any suspicion for anyone, I’ll pretend you were here all night. I promise.”

Speaking of which, I noticed the other bed in the room was completely untouched. Things must have been going well for Yonghoon and Hyungu if they weren’t even bothering to sleep separately anymore. It was surprising. Hyungu is so picky about his personal space. I didn’t really feel like asking Yonghoon about his love life, so I kept my mouth shut about the sleeping arrangements. Maybe they just did it so I would have a bed to myself when I snuck in in the morning, which I failed to do. 

Hyungu left the bathroom wrapped in a towel and cued up Nirvana on his phone. “Morning, hyung,” he said, smiling at me. “The shower is free if you need it. Or did you shower in noona’s room?”

“I did not,” I said as I rose from the bed. “Turn up your phone so I can hear that in the shower.”

“Sure thing.” Hyungu was smirking at me. “Man, the day I pick for a shower this week, you roll in smelling like pussy.”

“You only shower once a week?” I asked, ruffling his damp, slightly wavy hair as I headed for the bathroom. “No wonder you always smell like ass.”

Hyungu laughed and slugged my shoulder. “You’re lucky you’re my best friend, you absolute dick.”

“I love you!” I called as I shut the bathroom door.

“I’m not saying it back!” Hyungu returned. He didn’t have to say it back.

* * *

As I reached the lobby of the hotel, I heard Dongju’s voice. I rounded the corner to find him staring in terror at his twin. “What did you do to your face?” he asked Dongmyeong. “Eomma and Appa are going to slaughter you for piercing your nose. That  _ is _ real, isn’t it? When did you do it?”

“In Minnesota,” Dongmyeong shrugged. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head at the younger Son twin. “I’m an adult. Eomma and Appa have no say in what I do with my nose. And neither do you.”

“You look dumb,” Dongju spat.

“We’re twins, pabo.” Dongmyeong playfully bounced the heel of his palm off Dongju’s forehead. “That means you also look dumb.”

“We’re fraternal,” Dongju clarified. “And I don’t have a chunk of metal in my face.”

“Because you’re too scared to get piercings!”

“Am not!”

“Quiet,” Geonhak said, stepping in behind Dongju. He wrapped his arms around his maknae’s shoulders and… planted a kiss on Dongju’s cheek? Dongju reached up to clutch Geonhak’s hands. What?

“What?” Dongmyeong squeaked. “Ju-yah, are you guys together? When did this happen? What about that Jiyoung girl from JYP? I thought  _ I  _ was the only gay twin!”

“You  _ are  _ the gay twin!” Dongju replied. “I just… got tired of waiting for Jiyoung. I felt like she was leading me on and hurting me. Geonhak-hyung has been there and… well… one thing led to another…” he trailed off.

“Congratulations!” I said, simultaneously announcing my presence. Dongju flushed bright pink all over, just like his brother does. Geonhak’s ears burned red.

“Thanks,” he growled, tightening his grip on Dongju. “I can’t wait to see you guys perform tonight. And tomorrow, for that matter.”

“It’ll be fun!” I agreed.

“We all have a lot to talk about,” Hyungu said. “Should I start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyungu's chapter is coming up soon, I promise.  
> I can't leave you hanging on for too long!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preordering ONE was the first thing I did this morning.

@_KangHyun

As our brother unit stared expectantly at me, I began to regret volunteering to speak first. I glanced at Yonghoon. He gave a half-smile and nod, and I took a deep breath. “I don’t know if Dongmyeong’s told you in a video call, but Amanda and I are no more,” I said. Based on their facial expressions, nobody had been told. “She confessed to cheating… with a girl. I couldn’t take that, so I ended it.”

“Can I hug you?” Keonhee asked, lifting his arms and spreading them out wide. “Or not, if you don’t want me to.” I stepped into Keonhee’s personal bubble and let him snake his long arms around my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

I nodded against Keonhee’s bony shoulder. “I’m down to only crying about it a little,” I chuckled. “Yonghoon-hyung has been patiently taking care of me.”

“I’m a good rebound lover,” Yonghoon snickered.

“What?” Keonhee blurted. He held me out at arms length and studied my slowly reddening face.

“It’s similar to Dongju-yah and Geonhak-hyung’s story, I guess,” I said, shrugging. “Yonghoon-hyung is there for me.”

“And one thing led to another?” Geonhak added for me. I nodded again. “Okay.”

“Not the weirdest pairing I’ve ever seen, I guess,” Youngjo laughed.

“Not a pairing,” I corrected. “We’re just… feeling things out. Nothing is official. Nothing has been decided. We’re certainly not planning a wedding, like our maknae line. I just-” I choked but didn’t quite let the tears fall, “-I cried over Amanda for twenty minutes last night. Yonghoon-hyung held onto me and… and kissed me. He’s reminding me that I’m worthy of love. But we’re not trying to start anything romantic right now. I still feel like my heart’s been ripped out of my chest.”

“You really loved her,” Keonhee whimpered, pulling me back in. He held me tightly again, one hand coming to rest on my head, digging his fingers into my freshly-washed hair.

“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled into his shoulder. I decided to let Keonhee hold me for as long as he wanted. We’d always been close, after all. Opposites attract, and such. “Harin-hyung has news. Don’t you, Rinnie?” I teased.

“Shut up,” Harin commanded, though there was a smile in his voice. I knew I had him blushing and eye-smiling. “Yonghoonie-hyung and I had a little tiff earlier in the tour. We both caught feelings for the same girl. But I won her heart, right, noona?” Lydia giggled and Seoho gasped.

“You’re dating your interpreter?” Hwanwoong hissed. “Are you out of your tiny fucking mind? Does your staff know?”

“What staff?” Dongmyeong blurted. “We have no ‘staff’ besides Seungjin-hyung and Manager Hansoo. Well, and Lydia-noona, technically. We are wearing whatever the hell we want, I’m our makeup artist, and I’m pretty sure today was the first time Hyungu-hyung has showered since California.”

“Hey, don’t lie!” I whined, pulling out of Keonhee’s embrace at last. “I’ve had at least… three other showers on this tour!”

“Gross,” Keonhee groaned. He moved close, positioning his face by my neck to sniff me. “You  _ are  _ clean, right? You smell like soap.”

“You really only have a skeleton crew?” Hwanwoong asked, furrowing his brow. “That’s not very fair.”

“And we’ve been playing dank nightclubs and sticky little bars,” Dongmyeong added. “What about it? We’re not RBW’s cash cow. That’s Mamamoo, and to a slightly lesser extent, you. What did you get?”

Hwanwoong opened his mouth to list their staff. “We have a manager, a few security personnel, two hair and makeup specialists, a stylist, a photographer, and an interpreter.” He sighed. “Fuck, that’s really not fair.” Dongmyeong shrugged and rolled his eyes.

“Hyung,” Youngjo began, addressing Yonghoon. “Do you have anything to share with us?”

“Uh…” Yonghoon said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve caught over a hundred Pokémon on this tour!”

“You owe me a battle!” Harin cried. “I showed you how to get Pikachu!”

“Do you want a Slowpoke, Yonghoon-hyung?” Giwook threw in. “I have two. We could do a trade.”

“If he doesn’t want a Slowpoke, I do!” Seoho blurted.

“You  _ are  _ a Slowpoke,” Keonhee laughed.

And just like that, it was like we had never been separated. Meeting up in the hotel lobby felt like meeting up in either of our living rooms, or in ONEUS’ practice room. 

We played a concert to a pretty decently sized crowd that night, including ONEUS, who all hid in the upper level of the venue. But what I was really looking forward to was our joint concert the following night. We would have a VIP meet & greet before the concert as well as hi-touch after. It would be the only North American date where we did a meet & greet. Even Toronto, which was lovely, didn’t get that treatment. And it was all because we were playing with ONEUS. Just another little injustice for Hwanwoong to point out.

The crowd was considerably larger for our joint concert. It wasn’t a surprise, and I work hard to keep out the pangs of jealousy that occasionally punch me in the gut when I think about how unknown we are compared to ONEUS. Our fanbases have a lot of overlap. And our fans show us their love and devotion constantly. We receive love in spades. They say you get back what you put out in the world. I’m not sure my heart is big enough to send as much love as I get from everyone.

We milled about the venue before the joint concert, taking selcas and goofing around. We had ample supplies of snacks and water. I sat on the edge of the stage with my acoustic guitar and strummed out Foo Fighters’  _ Saint Cecilia _ . I tried my best with the lyrics. And then Lydia surprised me. She hopped up next to me on the stage, nudged me with her shoulder, and took up a high harmony. I followed along with her to get the words straight. She had a pleasant alto tone with a timbre like a bell. Maybe a little out of practice. She probably wouldn’t be my first choice for a main vocalist, but she wasn’t bad. “You’re so talented,” she said when we finished, giving me another nudge. “You know, as for their more recent work,  _ The Sky Is A Neighborhood  _ is my favorite.” Lydia got to her feet and wandered off to find Harin. It was almost time for the meet & greet.

When I think about that day, one fan sticks out in my memory. A woman, around Dongmyeong’s height, carrying containers of homemade food. She had long brown hair and a big smile on her face. “Annyeonghaseyo!” she greeted as she approached. “I’m Tessa, and I think I’ve just completely forgotten how to speak Korean.”

“How did you get food in here?” Lydia laughed.

“Oh, I had to give a little to one of the security guys out there,” Tessa explained. “The huge Korean guy. When he said it was safe, they let me in. This is for you, boys!” She lifted up the containers slightly. “I made kimchi-jjigae because I know how much Dongmyeong loves it. And I have bindae-tteok here as well. You can’t have something as spicy as my kimchi-jjigae without balancing it out. I don’t skimp on the gochugaru.”

“Cute,” I said with a chuckle. “You are making Korean food for us? Have you done well?”

“God, I hope so,” she sighed. “I mean, I know it’s good. I eat it. I mean, not that I ate this. I tried a spoonful while I was cooking, to make sure I had it right. I just hope  _ you  _ like it. All of you. I believe I brought enough for all of WeUs.” She added, mumbling, “Come to think of it, that huge Korean security guy didn’t seem all that impressed.”

“I’m sure he was!” I said, helping guide the containers down onto the stage we all leaned against (or sat on, as was the case for Hwanwoong). “It is Seungjin-hyung’s job to be…” I thought hard, searching for a word. “... not excited?”

“Your English is very good,” Tessa complimented me. “I’m impressed.”

“I’m trying very hard to keep up, but you are kind of fast for me.” I blushed. “But please, please keep using English. We are learning. You are helping.”

“I’m so good at English,” Keonhee lisped through his mouthful of braces. “I think almost I am fluent!” 

Tessa stifled a giggle. “I don’t think you are, but you’re very cute.” She lifted the lid on the kimchi stew and the smell hit me like a truck. In a good way. I almost teared up a bit. American food was good, but the smell of fresh kimchi-jjigae made me homesick. “It’s still hot. But I understand if you want to save it for after the concert and heat it up.” She opened the bindae-tteok next, revealing the familiar savory pancakes. 

“I smell Korean food!” Hwanwoong squeaked. “I have had nothing to eat!”

“Because you’ve been sleeping, pabo,” Youngjo teased. 

ONEUS’ manager disappeared for a bit and returned with disposable bowls and spoons. “Very kind,” he said, approaching Tessa.

“Oh, no!” she said. “It’s nothing! Really! Just feed these hungry men.” She returned her attention to me. “So, do you guys do handshakes, hugs, or high-fives?”

‘Um.” I stepped forward, opening my arms wide. “I will hug if you want.” I could feel the excitement radiating from her as I pulled her in against my chest for a few seconds. “Now, remember to ask everyone else the same question.” I watched Tessa move along down the line, then filled a bowl with kimchi-jjigae. “Tessa-noona, I am your… guinea pig?”

“Perfect!” she laughed. “I can’t believe you just called me that.” She wrapped her arms around Dongmyeong’s shoulders and he returned the hug, adding an extra tight squeeze. “I watched the livestream you did when you and CyA came out. I hope things are still going well for the two of you.” He stared at her, eyes blank, a confused smile on his lips. “Sorry.” She pointed between him and Giwook. “Haengbok?”

“We are so happy together!” Dongmyeong confirmed loudly, finally catching her meaning. 

I pushed a spoonful of kimchi-jjigae into my mouth. Tessa wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t skimp on the gochugaru! It tasted like home. Other members were starting to dig into the food as well. “So good!” Keonhee raved, smacking his lips and taking another bite of bindae-tteok. 

“I’m so glad,” Tessa said. She seemed genuinely happy. “I think it’s time for me to let the next VIP in, but thank you all for being so gracious and sweet and wonderful. Saranghae!”

“Jeo-eui do!” Yonghoon replied.  _ We love you too. _

We played our final North American show that night. There was something so sad about finishing that leg of the tour. I felt like I would miss it. I was in the country I had always dreamt of visiting, and it was almost time to pack up and jet off to Europe. All eleven of us linked hands at the end of the night as Hwanwoong called into his microphone, “Thank you so much, New York City! We can hardly wait to come back and see you again!” We took our final bow and vacated the stage. The cheers were still ringing in my ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the last. Please don't hit me.  
> We have a European tour to send the boys on next, but before that, I want to churn out a few oneshots.  
> If you have anything in particular you want those stories to be about, let me know in a comment and if I use your prompt, I'll gift the oneshot to you.  
> It won't take long for me to finish mapping out the next book in this series. When they get home to Korea, I'll be adding another book to my series The Key.


	22. Chapter 22

*용훈*

Once again, our instruments had to be tightly packed in well-protected shipping boxes so we could fly across an ocean. At least it would be a shorter trip this time. I was excited to arrive in London. I sat quietly in my seat on the plane and popped my earbuds in to listen to a playlist Giwook had made for me. It was titled  _ Songs Hyung Should Try Singing  _ and I absolutely loved it. The very first song was Panic! At The Disco’s  _ Death Of A Bachelor _ . I could do that.

I glanced to my right to see Hyungu sitting beside me, reading up on London. Always reading, that one. I tapped the travel pamphlet in his hands and he looked over at me. I held out one of my earbuds. “It’s a long flight,” I said as he gingerly took it, pressing it carefully into his ear. A tiny smile crossed Hyungu’s face and he settled back into his seat, back to his pamphlet. “You’re such a nerd,” I teased.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” Hyungu mumbled. He grinned, revealing perfect, white teeth. “Do you want to see the Tower of London?” Hyungu held out his pamphlet and pointed to a photo of an old stone structure. “They say it’s haunted. Might be fun.”

“Let’s send Giwook-ah inside,” I joked. “He always says he’s not afraid of anything because he watches horror movies. Watch him come face-to-face with a  _ real  _ ghost and we’ll see how fearless he is.”

Hyungu laughed and set the pamphlet down before shutting his eyes and losing himself in the music from my phone. I reached over to lace my fingers between his, and he blessed me with another tiny smile. I knew he didn’t want romance. I could live with that if I still got smiles and kisses.

Down the row, Dongmyeong was teaching Lydia how to play a strategic game we call Chopsticks. They were tapping on each other’s hands, adding and subtracting fingers, until Dongmyeong called a time-out and explained why Lydia had made an illegal move. They backtracked and started the game over again. Giwook sat next to his fiancé, playing a multiplayer game on his Switch with Harin. I watched Dongmyeong win his game against Lydia and turn to kiss Giwook on the cheek and announce his victory. When Giwook ignored him for his Super Smash Bros. battle, Dongmyeong huffed and whined about not getting any attention. Ah, typical. 

To my left, I had a decent view of the clouds outside the window. They passed by quickly as we sped across the sky. I squeezed Hyungu’s hand a little. None of this was what I expected when those teenage boys approached me after I sang in a competition. They wanted me in their band. Okay, I’d give it a shot and see where things went. We went busking. We earned money to donate to a charity for surviving comfort women, the term given to the Korean women and girls who were kidnapped and sold to the Japanese decades ago. Back in those days, we kept day jobs to pay for our equipment. Hyungu delivered fried chicken. Giwook worked in a mart. For some reason, teenage Harin had a position at a brokerage firm. I still chuckle a little when I think about it, but it makes sense. He is incredibly bright.

We got signed by an agency that tried, bless them, but they had no idea what to do with a band. How do you promote band music in South Korea, where the industry is dominated by dance groups with flashy choreography and music videos with higher production value than some feature films? 

So we went to RBW. We spent some time on reality shows, got really close with our brother group, and worked our fingers to the bone. We changed our name. But I wouldn’t change my bandmates for anything. If I wake up tomorrow and I’m back to the day we first met, I’ll still join those kids. They’re my best friends.

Somehow, after everything we’d been through, we were together on a plane, jetting off to the next stop on our trip around the world. It was a trip I never expected to take before these four incredible kids found me. 

Hyungu’s head dropped onto my shoulder and his eyes fluttered shut. I’d wake him if the flight attendant brought snacks. I picked up the pamphlet he’d discarded in his lap and flipped through it. I could read the words, but I didn’t quite understand a lot of it. Still, I could tell my English was improving, little by little. 

“You know, this never gets easier for me,” Seungjin muttered behind me. “I hate being in the sky, Yonghoon-ah. A man my size was never meant to fly.” I laughed. “I’m serious!”

“I know, hyung,” I replied. “Just a few more hours before we’re back on the ground. You can do it. You’ll be a seasoned ONEWE crew member by the end of this tour.”

“I’ll need a vacation,” Seungjin grumbled. “I’ll drop my kids off with you and the rest of the boys and take my wife to New Zealand.”

“And MyeongWook will be happy to look after them again,” I said. “I volunteer them to babysit. I’m their hyung. I can do that.” I sighed. “Have you had photos or anything from your wife? Like, new pictures of Mina and Minsoo?”

Before I finished asking, Seungjin’s massive hand was offering his phone between the seats. I took it and scrolled through a few pictures of his adorable kids. Minsoo was already starting to fill out into a cute, chubby baby. I passed his phone back. “As much as I love my job,” he began, “I can’t wait to go home.”

“I believe that,” I said. “You know you’ll have to ride in a plane again, right?”

“It’ll be worth it to get back to Seoul.”

“I didn’t get to see the babies,” Hyungu grumbled as he stirred against my shoulder.

“When you have kids, will you teach them how to play guitar?” I asked.

Hyungu lifted his head and yawned. “Of course,” he said. “They can try it, and if they don’t like it or they show no talent for it, I’ll put them up for adoption.”

I laughed, but I’m still not totally convinced he was joking about that.

I don’t know exactly when I fell asleep, but I did. I napped until we were instructed to buckle our seatbelts for landing. I pushed mine together in my lap, hearing the satisfying metal  _ click  _ when it slid into place. The plane started to descend and then... 

We made it. ‘Ello, merry old England!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, my loves! Lydia will tell you all about the European leg in the next story.  
> Thank you all so much for reading, even though it is admittedly lackluster compared to The Key books.   
> As I said in my last note, I have the next book in that series all planned out too, but it has to wait until after the next book of this series.   
> If you have oneshot requests, this is the comment section to start posting them in.  
> Also, I'm extremely excited to get my signed copy of ONE when that gets here!  
> Anyway, author over and out!

**Author's Note:**

> You read 'em, I keep writing!  
> Thank you!
> 
> \- Rose


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